I’ve been struggling with "digital twitchiness"—that reflexive habit of opening a new tab or checking a phone the second a task ends. I realized I had lost the ability to just sit with my thoughts for even 5 minutes.
Most "mindfulness" or "focus" apps felt too heavy. They have streaks, gamification, ads, or complex onboarding. They felt like more "noise" to manage.
So I built TapPause. It’s a 5–30 minute timer designed to be a "circuit breaker."
Key constraints I set for myself:
No Tracking: I don't want to know how many times I paused. No data to optimize.
Zero Friction: No accounts, no "plans," just a tap to start.
Intentionality: It’s not a Pomodoro timer. It’s a tool to help you transition between tasks or just reclaim your headspace.
It’s a small, opinionated tool built for my own needs. I’d love to hear how others here manage their "digital downtime" and if you think we’ve over-engineered the simple act of taking a break.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/hk/app/tappause-pause-timer/id6758304...
(Feedback is very much appreciated.)
I tried several meditation and 'focus' apps, but they all felt like more 'work.' They wanted me to track streaks, join communities, or 'level up.' It felt ironic to use a high-engagement app to solve an engagement problem.
So I built TapPause. It’s a dead-simple utility designed with a few strict constraints:
Zero Data/Tracking: I don't want to know how many times I've paused. There is no 'performance' to optimize here.
Minimal Friction: No accounts, no onboarding, no 'daily goals.' You open it, you tap, you sit.
The 5-30 Minute Window: I found that 5 minutes is the minimum to actually 'reset' the nervous system, and 30 minutes is the maximum before it feels like a scheduled event. This is for the 'in-between' moments.
The goal isn't to 'meditate' in the traditional sense. It's to create a 'circuit breaker' for the digital reflex.
I’m curious to hear from the HN community: How do you handle the 'transition anxiety' between deep work tasks? Do you find that dedicated tools help create a mental ritual, or do they just add to the noise?
I'd love any feedback on the UI or the philosophy behind it."
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