I made this app because I’m terrible at staying focused.

Productivity “gurus” will tell you to shut off your internet for uninterrupted work time, but what about those of us who work online?

When I have looming deadlines, but the work requires an internet connection, I turn to a modified version of the Pomodoro technique. I’d set a timer for 25 minutes, work straight, and then take a five-minute break.

That seemingly inconsequential action — setting the dimer — helped me stay focused. When a task’s end was somewhere in the distant future, I’d feel overwhelmed. But working for 25 minutes wasn’t bad at all. Every four cycles, I’d take a longer, 10-minute break.

I wanted to find a dead-simple timer to help track my work, but soon found that none existed.

That’s why I created WorkBurst.

The best part about WorkBurst is the screen dimming. When it’s time for a break, your screen will automatically adjust to 20 percent brightness.

This encourages you to get up and look away from the screen, greatly reducing eye strain.

It will also help you psychologically separate Work Time from Break Time, giving you renewed energy at the end of every break.

I created WorkBurst for me, but I thought you might want to try it, too.

It costs $0.99 and is available now in the Apple App Store. Let me know what you think.