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The Break Screen is a full-screen overlay that covers your display when a break starts. FocusMe shows it for Screen Break intervals, Pomodoro breaks, the Screen break after session of a Quick Timer, and while a plan set to Block entire computer is active.

The Break Screen during a screen break

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What’s displayed

  • The plan name that triggered the break.
  • Take a break! You can continue in … with a countdown to the end of the break.
  • Skip available in … while a minimum break time is still running (see below).
  • On a Pomodoro plan with Wait for User on, the screen reads Waiting for User at the end of the break and (Touch mouse to continue) — the next focus phase starts when you move the mouse.
  • The current time and date, so you stay oriented.

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Controls

Break Screen controls

Which buttons appear depends on the plan’s type and protection:

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Postpone or Skip?

Clicking Skip Break opens Postpone or Skip? (or just Skip? / Postpone? if the plan allows only one):
  • Postpone delays the break. You choose how long under Set postpone length, within the plan’s Pause length, and the break returns afterwards. Each postponement uses one of the plan’s daily pauses.
  • Skip ends the break now. You can add a note first (Add note for skip break (Optionally):), which is useful for later review.
Each action uses the matching protection from the plan: postponing uses the Pause / Postpone break challenge and skipping uses the Skip break challenge.

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Minimum break time

Screen Break intervals can set a minimum break with skippable after in the rule settings (0 means no minimum). While it is running the screen shows Skip available in … and the Skip Break button is hidden, so you take at least a short rest even when skipping is allowed.

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Challenges

If the action you chose is protected, a challenge appears on the Break Screen:
  • Random — Enter these N characters: (or Enter these N characters perfectly: when Perfect is on, in which case a typo starts you over).
  • Password — Enter password:.
  • Enforced — the button isn’t available at all. If the action has Partner Override on and you have an accountability partner, FocusMe shows Your plan has enforced protection. Request your accountability partner to approve skipping this break. and offers to send the request to your partner instead. See Accountability Partner.
With Enforced skip and pause protection and no partner override, the break must run to the end. Check your break durations before choosing Lock it Down or setting these actions to Enforced.

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Assisted Stop

Assisted Stop lets someone else approve stopping the plan when you can’t (or shouldn’t) do it yourself:
  1. Click Assisted Stop on the Break Screen.
  2. Tick the plan under Select plans to request an assisted stop for: and enter a Reason:.
  3. Click the main button to send the request to your accountability partners (it reads Add Accountability Partner if you don’t have one yet), or click Send Request to FocusMe to send it to the FocusMe team.
  4. Partners can approve by email, or give you a code to enter. Approved plans stop automatically.

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Blank screen during breaks

Pomodoro plans have a Blank screen during breaks option (on the Pomodoro page of the Plan Wizard and in the Pomodoro start dialog). When it’s on, the Break Screen covers the display for every break; when it’s off, breaks run in the background with the Timer Window showing the countdown.
Breaks are part of your productivity system, not an interruption. Use them to rest your eyes, stretch and reset.