Take a Break

A gentle companion that reminds you to rest your eyes with short and long breaks.

Install

Use the DMS CLI:

dms plugins install takeABreak

Or manually:

git clone https://github.com/hthienloc/dms-take-a-break ~/.config/DankMaterialShell/plugins/takeABreak

Features

• Break Cycles - Automated reminders for short eye-rests and configurable long physical breaks after a set number of short breaks.
• Pre-warning Toast - Subtle notification 10 seconds before a break to Snooze or Skip.
• Fullscreen Overlay - Immersive break experience with health tips and a countdown timer.
• Smart Suppression - Automatically delays breaks if you are in a fullscreen app or game.
• UI Customization - Choose from 8 screen positions for warnings and adjust overlay transparency.
• Work Area Aware - UI elements automatically avoid DMS bars and docks.

Usage

Bar Icon / Popout

Action	Result
Left click	Open popout to see countdown and control timer
Pause/Resume	Temporarily stop the break cycle
Reset	Restart the session timer

Pre-warning Toast

Action	Result
Snooze (5m)	Delay the break for 5 minutes
Skip	Skip the current break and start the next interval

Fullscreen Overlay

• Displays a random eye-health tip.
• Countdown timer shows break progress.
• "Skip this break" button available if you need to return to work immediately.

IPC Commands

Use dms ipc call takeABreak <command> to control the plugin from scripts or keybindings.

Command	Description
preview prewarning	Show a preview of the pre-warning toast
preview overlay	Show a preview of the fullscreen break overlay

License

GPL-3.0

Roadmap / TODO

• Meeting Detection: Automatically detect active microphone usage to snooze breaks during calls.
• Sound Alerts: Optional gentle chimes to signal the start and end of a break.
• Custom Tips: Allow users to add their own text or images to the break overlay.
• Statistics: Track and display your daily break completion rate.