Create a Python Script Notifying to take a break

What is the requirement of Python Script?

We spend a lot of time in front of screens in today's society, whether we're working on a computer or scrolling through our phones. This is true whether we're working on a computer or using our phones. Since sitting for extended periods of time and staring at screens both have been linked to a variety of health problems, this might be detrimental to our wellbeing. It is essential to ensure that we take frequent pauses in which we are able to stretch, move about, and provide a rest for our eyes. Within the scope of this technical paper, we are going to implement a Python script that will generate a reminder for us to take an hour-long break every hour.

Negative Effects of Sitting in Front of Screen for long Period of time −

Both sitting for lengthy periods of time and staring at screens may have a lot of adverse impacts on our health. The following are some of the reasons that may be found in scientific literature for these effects −

• Musculoskeletal Problems − Sitting for extended periods of time may lead to musculoskeletal disorders, including discomfort in the neck, back, and shoulders. This is due to the fact that sitting for extended periods of time may lead to slouching and put stress on our muscles and joints.

• Eye Strain Having to stare at a computer screen for extended amounts of time may lead to eye strain, dry eyes, and headaches. This is due to the fact that our eyes have to exert more effort in order to concentrate on the screen and adapt to the varying levels of brightness and contrast shown by the screen.

• Obesity and Diabetes − Sitting for lengthy periods of time may increase the risk of developing obesity and diabetes. This is due to the fact that sitting for extended periods of time may produce insulin resistance and a reduction in metabolic rate, both of which can result in increased amounts of glucose and fat in the circulation.

• Cardiovascular Disease − Another factor that may contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease is sitting for extended periods of time. This is due to the fact that sitting for extended periods of time may reduce blood flow and raise the chance of blood clots, both of which can result in cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes.

• Issues with Mental Health Extended sitting and time spent in front of screens may both have a harmful impact on our mental health. According to a number of studies, spending an excessive amount of time in front of a computer might cause mental health issues such as anxiety, sadness, and others.

In general, it is essential to decrease the amount of time spent sitting and staring at screens by taking frequent breaks from these activities. This will help to lower the risk of adverse impacts on one's health. Taking regular pauses to walk about, stretch, and give your eyes a rest may help relieve stress on your body and mind, which in turn can enhance your health and well-being on a more comprehensive level.

Prerequisites

Before we start coding, there are a few prerequisites that you should have. Firstly, you need to have Python installed on your system. You can download and install Python from the official website. Secondly, you should have a code editor installed on your system. We recommend using Visual Studio Code or PyCharm.

Steps and Processes

Let's start by writing the code for our password generator. We will break down the code into smaller chunks and explain each part in detail.

Step 1 − Importing the Required Modules

The first step is to import the required modules. In this case, we need the time and plyer modules. The time module provides functions for working with time and the plyer module provides functions for displaying desktop notifications.

import time
from plyer import notification

Step 2 − Defining the the Break Interval

Next, we need to define the break interval. We will set the break interval to 60 minutes, which means the script will notify us to take a break every hour.

break_interval = 60 * 60 # 60 minutes * 60 seconds

Step 3 − Setting Up the Notification

Now that we know the break interval, we can set up the notification. We will define a function called notify() that will display the notification. The notification function from the plyer module is used to display the notification. We will pass the title and message parameters to the notification function to set the title and message of the notification.

def notify():
   notification.notify(
      title="Take a Break",

      message="It's time to take a break from your screen!",
      timeout=10
   )

In this code snippet, we are defining a function called notify() that will display the notification. The title parameter is set to "Take a Break" and the message parameter is set to "It's time to take a break from your screen!". The timeout parameter is set to 10 seconds, which means the notification will disappear after 10 seconds.

Step 4 − Running the Script

Finally, we will run the script. We will use a while loop to continuously check if the break interval has elapsed. If the break interval has elapsed, we will call the notify() function to display the notification. We will use the time.sleep() function to pause the script for the break interval.

while True:
   time.sleep(break_interval)
   notify()

Example

In this code snippet, we are using a while loop to continuously check if the break interval has elapsed. The time.sleep() function is used to pause the script for the break interval. Once the break interval has elapsed, the notify() function is called to display the notification.

# import time
from plyer import notification

break_interval = 60 * 60 # 60 minutes * 60 seconds

def notify():
   notification.notify(
      title="Take a Break",
      message="It's time to take a break from your screen!",
      timeout=10
   )

while True:
   time.sleep(break_interval)
   notify()

Output

This is the output after every interval

In the above section we can see the output from the break timer code which pops up as a notification in windows laptop with a sound so that the user will get reminded to take a break from work.

Conclusion

Within the context of this technical paper, we have developed a Python script that will alert us every hour to step away from our screens and get some fresh air. In order to develop the script, we made use of both the time and plyer modules. Both the time module and the plyer module include functions that may be used to manipulate time, while the plyer module has functions that can show alerts on the desktop. We have established a break duration of one hour, and we have programmed the notification system to prompt us with a message every sixty minutes to remind us to take a break.

You are able to tailor the break interval as well as the message that is shown in the notice to meet your specific requirements. You may also edit the code to execute the script only on particular days of the week or at certain times of the day. Alternatively, you can run the script only on specified days of the week.

In general, using this script is an easy and efficient approach to remind yourself to take a break from your screen and lower the risk of health problems linked with extended sitting and the use of electronic devices.