20-20-20 Eye Timer — Reduce Screen Strain

Coding, spreadsheets, and long reading keep your eyes locked at one distance. The discomfort is easy to ignore until the end of the day. You do not need a medical device for a reminder: you need a chime every 20 minutes that you will actually hear, plus a break phase long enough to look away.

This guide uses the Pomodoro page as that reminder. Focus (min) = 20 is the screen interval. Short Break is the window for the 20-second distance look — not a 20-second timer. A one-shot 20-minute countdown on /timer will not start the next interval unless you restart it by hand.

Near work keeps focusing muscles busy. Looking into the distance lets them relax. The rule names three numbers: 20 minutes of screen time, an object about 20 feet (6 m) away, and 20 seconds of looking at it. It does not mean your break must last only 20 seconds, and it is not the same as a date countdown to an appointment.

Pair a short break (1–5 minutes) with the eye exercise: when Focus ends, the phase-end alarm is the cue. Away from your desk, an online timer keeps the time — stand or turn toward a window, focus on something far away for 20 seconds, then use the rest of the break however you like before the next Focus block.

Same Settings dialog as the study timer (toolbar gear → Pomodoro Settings → Timer group). Change the minutes; do not look for a separate “eye timer” module — there isn't one.

1. Open /pomodoro and click the Pomodoro settings gear in the toolbar.
2. Set Focus (min) to 20 — this is the first “20” (screen time before a reminder).
3. Set Short Break (min) to 1–5. The break does not need to be 20 seconds; you only need about 20 seconds inside it to look into the distance.
4. Turn on Auto Start Breaks so the break phase begins when Focus ends. Leave Auto Start Pomodoros off so the next Focus does not steal the look-away.
5. Pick a phase-end alarm you will actually notice. Click OK, then Start. Use toolbar fullscreen if the laptop sits across the desk.
6. When a break begins, look at something at least 20 feet (6 meters) away for 20 seconds — the second and third “20” in the rule.

1. When Focus ends, the phase-end sound is your cue — stop looking at the screen.
2. Pick a distant object (out a window, down a hallway, across the room — about 20 feet / 6 m).
3. Look at it steadily for 20 seconds. Blink normally; do not stare uncomfortably hard.
4. Use any remaining break time to stand, stretch, or hydrate, then start the next Focus block when you are ready (Start or Space if Auto Start Pomodoros is off).

A reminder you cannot hear is not a reminder. Pomodoro is still a page in this browser.

• Keep the /pomodoro tab open for the whole work block. Closing it cancels the next chime.
• Sleep pauses timers. If the laptop lid closes between meetings, the 20-minute interval is frozen until you wake the machine.
• Browsers throttle background tabs. If you live in another window, pin Pomodoro or glance back when you expect a break.
• Autoplay: the phase-end alarm needs a prior tap on the page (Start or Enable Sound). A cold load with no click may stay silent.
• Settings persist in this browser. If you later use /pomodoro as a 25-minute study timer, reopen Settings and set Focus (min) back to 20 for eye reminders.

Configure and run the reminder on Pomodoro.

For a single 20-minute block that does not repeat, use the duration Timer and start it again after each look-away — more work than Pomodoro Auto Start Breaks.

Do not use the date countdown for this habit. That module counts days to a holiday or event, not 20-minute screen intervals.

Same Focus/break idea for exam prep: study timer guide (25/5/15 instead of 20-minute Focus).