The 20-20-20 rule against eye strain

Protecting your eyes at the screen, with zero effort

The simplest method: SeventyBreak

Install SeventyBreak, pick the interval between two breaks (20 minutes by default) in the settings, then keep working as usual. When it's time, a discreet reminder appears on every screen: "Look 20 feet away", with a 20-second countdown ring. A Skip button and the Escape key close the reminder anytime. If you're already away from the keyboard, the reminder skips itself and the cycle restarts.

Download the free SeventyBreak trial (7 days, macOS 13+).

What is the 20-20-20 rule

It's a simple rule recommended against digital eye strain: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet (6 meters) away for 20 seconds. Staring at a close screen for hours keeps the eye's focusing muscles under constant tension; this short glance into the distance relaxes them and reduces dryness, headaches and blurry vision by the end of the day.

Why not just set a reminder yourself

A mental timer never survives a real work day: as soon as you're focused, you forget, and 20 minutes turns into 2 hours.
A reminder that respects the moment: SeventyBreak pauses itself when you're already away from the keyboard, so it never interrupts a break that's already happening.
Visible on every screen: the reminder shows up on each connected monitor, impossible to miss on a secondary display.

Why no permission is requested

SeventyBreak never reads, records or transmits what's on your screen: it's just a local timer and a visual panel that never steals keyboard or mouse focus. No macOS permission is required at all.

Mistakes to avoid

Relying on your own memory to take regular breaks: it works for the first 10 minutes, rarely after.
Dismissing every reminder without ever actually taking the break: might as well disable the app, the value comes from the real gesture, even a brief one.
Using an app that asks for unnecessary permissions for such a simple function: the higher the security risk, the less justified it is.

Get SeventyBreak: 7-day trial, then a lifetime license.