Break Buddy: Smarter Work Breaks
Project Overview
Break Buddy is a work-break timer designed for busy professionals who struggle to take regular breaks. It helps enforce healthy work boundaries while being flexible enough to fit around meetings and unpredictable schedules.
Problem Statement
Busy professionals often neglect breaks due to back-to-back meetings and demanding workloads. Existing break reminder apps fall short because they:
- Are too rigid, dismissing breaks when missed instead of adapting.
- Focus on productivity over wellbeing, rather than preventing burnout.
- Lack integration with work schedules, making them impractical in dynamic environments.
User Stories
- As a professional with a packed schedule, I want break reminders that accommodate meetings so I can stay productive without feeling guilty.
- As someone experiencing burnout, I need gentle encouragement to take breaks without added stress.
- As a knowledge worker, I want a hands-free solution that tracks my breaks without requiring manual input.
Solution
To address these challenges, I designed and developed Break Buddy, an iOS app that:
✅ Automates break reminders – A cycle of work and break timers runs until the user ends their day.
✅ Offers flexible grace periods – If a break is delayed, it reschedules rather than dismissing it.
✅ Tracks break adherence – At the end of the day, users can see how many breaks they took.
✅ Respects user privacy – No personal data is collected, and all stats are on-device only.
Approach
- User Research: Identified gaps in existing break apps, focusing on knowledge workers and workplace stress.
- Design & Development: Built a simple, visually calming iOS app to encourage mindfulness without distractions.
- Iterative Testing: Ensured break reminders were useful without being intrusive, refining timing logic.
- Future Growth Potential: Left room for enhancements such as Apple Health integration, team features, and adaptive scheduling.
Impact
📌 Currently in MVP phase, but early insights show:
- Breaks feel more achievable – users appreciate the flexible enforcement.
- Less guilt, more balance – the app helps busy professionals take needed pauses.
- A unique position in the market – most apps prioritise productivity rather than wellbeing.
Key Learnings
🔹 Flexibility is key – rigid systems don’t work for unpredictable schedules.
🔹 User wellbeing > productivity – reframing breaks as self-care rather than efficiency helps adoption.
🔹 Simple execution, big impact – even small nudges can shift work habits for the better.