👁️ Eye Health Reminder
The 20-20-20 rule & blink breaks
Ready
20:00
Next distance & blink break
Breaks completed today: 0
Enable notifications, then hit “Send test” to confirm they appear on your screen.
Checking…
Make notifications work
- Don't open it as a file. If your address bar starts with
file://, desktop notifications can't fire — that's a browser rule, not a bug. Serve it over localhost instead (next step). - Serve it over localhost. Open a terminal in the folder containing this file and run one of:
macOS / Linux:python3 -m http.server 8000
Windows:py -m http.server 8000
Then visithttp://localhost:8000/eye-health-reminder.html - Enable & test. Click Enable desktop notifications → Allow, then Send test. A system pop‑up should appear.
- Still nothing? Check your OS.
macOS: System Settings → Notifications → your browser → Allow; turn off Do Not Disturb / Focus.
Windows: Settings → System → Notifications → on for your browser; turn off Focus assist.
Want a reminder that works without keeping a browser tab open? Ask me to build a native macOS / Windows / Linux version that runs on a schedule.
Settings
minutes between breaks
seconds to look away
Why this works
Look into the distance — the 20-20-20 rule
- Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet (≈6 m) away for at least 20 seconds. At ~20 ft your eyes are near their relaxed focus, so the focusing (ciliary) muscle unclenches after sustained near work.
- Recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Optometric Association to ease digital eye strain (computer vision syndrome).
Blink — fully and often
- At rest people blink ~15–20×/min, but during screen use the rate drops to roughly 7×/min with more incomplete blinks, destabilising the tear film and drying the eyes (Tsubota & Nakamori, New England Journal of Medicine, 1993).
- During each break, do several slow, complete blinks (close gently, pause, then open) to re-spread the tear film.
Note: 20-20-20 is the standard, low-risk recommendation from eye-care bodies; the screen-related drop in blink rate is well documented. It complements — but does not replace — an eye exam if you have persistent symptoms.