For people who sit at a computer all day
Short breaks for your eyes, neck, back and hands, at the right moment and without getting in the way.
Every 20 minutes a half-minute break, every 45 minutes stand up. Free and open source for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Other files: Windows ARM · Linux .deb · Linux .rpm · Linux ARM AppImage · Linux ARM .deb · Linux ARM .rpm
Full blink
Gently close your eyes
My name is Sergey Yadrov. I'm a developer, and I also make My Healthy Diet, a food diary app in Russian.
When I started programming a lot, my eyes got tired and dry by the evening. I went to an eye doctor. He explained that at a screen we blink two to three times less often, and the eyes dry out. The advice was simple: blink more, and every 20 minutes look into the distance, about 6 metres (20 feet) away.
Following it turned out harder than understanding it. At work you forget about blinking, let alone breaks. The good reminder apps were paid, so I wrote my own. Then I added breaks for the neck, back, hands and legs: the eyes are not the only thing that gets tired at a computer.
Unslouch is free and open source. I build it alone, together with AI, and use it myself.
If the app looks after your eyes and back, buy me a coffee. Unslouch will stay free and ad-free, and support pays for hosting, new exercises and fixes. Every donation also tells me the work is worth doing.
Buy me a coffeeOne small exercise for eyes, hands or neck, in turn. Then look more than 6 metres (20 feet) away for 20 seconds. A soft chime tells you when to look back.
An exercise for the back, one for the legs, a short walk, some water.
The screen edges darken for a second: time to blink. A small banner asks you to change position. A card in the corner reminds you about water.
Two minutes of neck and shoulder strength, a minute of slow breathing, a reminder that the working day is over.
Every exercise in the app is an animated figure. You don't need to read anything, just follow it. Here they are, live.
Gently close your eyes
At a screen we blink two to three times less often, and the focusing muscle works for hours. Every 20 minutes, look more than 6 metres (20 feet) away for 20 seconds. Sometimes with a full-blink exercise first.
What research saysDraw your head back as if making a double chin. Keep looking ahead
Chin tucks, shoulder blade squeezes and tilts in micro-breaks. Once a day, if you want, two minutes of strength exercises: in a study of office workers even this short routine reduced neck and shoulder pain.
What research saysRound your back, chin to chest
It's not a "wrong" posture that tires the back, it's staying still. Stand-up breaks include a back bend, a seated twist or cat-cow.
What research saysStraight hand
Forearm muscles work without rest. Fist and spread, tendon glides and wrist stretches reduce discomfort in the hands.
What research saysHolding the desk, rise onto your toes
Calf muscles pump blood out of the legs, and sitting switches that pump off. Calf raises, ankle pumps and a short walk every 45 minutes.
What research saysDrink some water
Even mild lack of water makes attention and mood worse. A small card in the corner reminds you; go by thirst, tea and coffee count too.
What research saysBreathe in through the nose
A minute of slow breathing, about 6 breaths a minute with a long exhale, lowers tension a little. Follow the circle: in for 4, out for 6.
What research saysReminders wait while you are busy and pick up when you are free.
When another program uses the camera or microphone, breaks wait until the call ends.
Video, presentations and games in fullscreen are not interrupted.
System focus modes are respected.
Outside your working hours the app stays quiet.
Start a focus session from the tray, breaks come after it.
If you left the computer, that already counts as a break.
See how the day went and whether breaks help you in particular.
No accounts, analytics, telemetry, crash reports or ads. Settings and statistics are files on your computer. The only request the app makes is a daily update check, and you can turn it off. This website counts visits with Yandex Metrica, and you can decline.
Privacy policyThe installer is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen warns about an unknown publisher. Click "More info", then "Run anyway". The code is open and the builds are made by GitHub Actions from it.
The app lives in the system tray. Ubuntu shows it out of the box. On plain GNOME, install the AppIndicator extension ("AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support"), otherwise the icon won't appear.
No install needed.
Keep a tab open and get a 30-second break every 20 minutes with animated exercises. For work computers where you can't install apps.
Every 20 minutes, look more than 6 metres away for 20 seconds.
Pick body parts and minutes, get a routine of animated exercises.
Seat, desk, monitor and standing desk height from your body height.
Screen, chair, elbows, wrists, feet and light in one minute.
How many hours you sit and a break schedule for your day.
Eight yes/no questions and practical tips. Not a diagnosis.
25 minutes of focus, then a break with short exercises.
Follow the circle: in for 4, out for 6.
Yes. No paid tier, no trial, no ads. The code is open under the MIT licence.
No. The app reduces discomfort and fatigue from long sitting. It does not treat anything. If something hurts, doesn't go away or gets in the way of your life, see a doctor. Every section of the app has "when to see a doctor".
No. When another program uses the camera or microphone, reminders wait. The same in fullscreen and in Do Not Disturb.
Yes. There are presets: Recommended (20 and 45 minutes), Pomodoro 25/5, Hourly, and your own.
Only what is stored on your computer: settings, break statistics, your weekly self-check and time per program. Nothing is sent anywhere. You can export or delete everything.
Use the browser version: keep a tab open and it will show a break every 20 minutes with the same exercises.
15: English, Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Belarusian, Uzbek, Armenian, Georgian, Azerbaijani, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Brazil), Turkish and Simplified Chinese.
The app is free and will stay free; support is voluntary and does not unlock anything. If you want to say thanks, you can do it through CloudTips with a Russian bank card or SBP, or through Boosty with a card from any country.
One developer builds it together with AI: the code, texts and translations are written with Claude. The health advice comes from published research, and every study is linked in the Science section. Translations into other languages were also made by AI and have not been proofread by native speakers yet. If you spot a mistake, write to us or open an issue on GitHub.
The whole app is on GitHub under the MIT licence. Translations, fixes and ideas are welcome.
Support the project: CloudTips takes Russian bank cards and SBP, Boosty takes cards from other countries too
