Workrave Portable

Even though in most cases the amount of time spent working determines earnings, you must not overlook resting for at least a while every now and then. In spite that most computer applications require attention, there are some, like Workrave Portable, that help you rest in order to prevent RSI.

The application's main window is pretty compact, with three available countdown timers, for microbreaks, rest break and the total amount of time recommended to work. Whenever a timer reaches 0, an event is triggered, restricting access to anything except the info window brought up.

Microbreaks are the most frequent encounters, as the name suggests. When the time comes, you are asked to relax for several seconds by a floating window that evades your mouse cursor every time you move it close.

A rest break occurs at longer time intervals. These mostly consist of interactive exercises that have you stretching your fingers, relaxing muscles, and a few more. A small animation is displayed to give you an example of how the exercise to be conducted, as well as explanatory text.

When the daily amount of allowed time is up, you are asked to stop working immediately, or if the shift is not over yet to try and find something less stressful. You can choose to shut down the computer from a provided button or ignore the message and continue working.

The application gives you the possibility to set available time limits according to your schedule. This can be done from the preferences menu, where nearly any trigger and consequence is customizable. Moreover, you find that a rich language content makes this utility accessible to a large variety of nations.

To sum it up, Workrave Portable is a practical application that can keep you a little healthier while still properly doing your job. It can blend on any environment due to customizable timers and rich language content, also being able to stay hidden in the system tray until it considers it's time you need to rest.