How to Use Private 15 to Maximize Your Productivity

What is Private 15?

Private 15 is Workify's one-click pause button that stops all tracking for exactly 15 minutes. It's your privacy escape hatch— perfect for personal breaks, sensitive tasks, or whenever you simply don't want to be tracked.

But here's the secret: using Private 15 strategically can actually improve your productivity and Flow Score.

When to Use Private 15

1. Lunch and Personal Breaks

The most obvious use case. When you step away for lunch or a personal break, hit Private 15 so your idle time doesn't drag down your Flow Score. Your productivity metrics should reflect your working hours, not your break time.

2. Personal Calls and Messages

Need to handle a personal phone call, reply to family texts, or deal with life admin during work hours? Pause tracking first. This keeps your work data clean and respects your privacy for non-work activities.

3. Sensitive Work Tasks

Working on confidential projects, handling sensitive HR matters, or reviewing private documents? Even though Workify never captures screenshots or keystrokes, you might feel more comfortable pausing tracking entirely for these activities.

4. Creative Brainstorming

Sometimes the best work happens away from the keyboard—sketching on paper, whiteboarding ideas, or staring at the ceiling thinking through a problem. These moments look like "inactivity" to productivity trackers, so pause before you brainstorm.

5. Context Switching Between Projects

Switching from coding to email? From design work to admin tasks? The transition period often involves lots of app switching and scattered focus. Use Private 15 during these transitions to keep your Flow Score accurate for actual focused work.

How to Use Private 15 Effectively

Step 1: Click the System Tray Icon

Find the Workify icon in your system tray (macOS menu bar or Windows taskbar) and click it to open the menu.

Step 2: Select "Private 15"

Click the Private 15 button. All tracking stops immediately. You'll see a countdown timer showing how much pause time remains.

Step 3: Do Your Thing

Take your break, handle your personal tasks, or work on sensitive projects without any tracking. Workify won't collect any data during this time.

Step 4: Automatic Resume

After 15 minutes, tracking automatically resumes. Or if you finish your break early, you can manually resume from the menu.

Pro Tips for Power Users

• Pause before breaks, not after. Hit Private 15before you start browsing social media or grabbing coffee. This keeps your intent clear—you're taking a planned break, not getting distracted.
• Use it guilt-free. Private 15 isn't about gaming the system—it's about accurate data. You're not cheating; you're distinguishing between work time and break time.
• Don't overuse it. If you find yourself pausing tracking for hours every day, that's a signal to examine your work habits, not hide them. Workify is here to help you understand your patterns, not judge them.
• Chain multiple pauses if needed. Need more than 15 minutes? Just hit Private 15 again when it expires. We chose 15 minutes as a sweet spot for most breaks, but you control your privacy.

The Psychology of Strategic Breaks

Research shows that taking regular breaks actually improves productivity and prevents burnout. By using Private 15 to clearly separate work time from break time, you'll:

• Get more accurate productivity insights
• Feel less guilty about taking necessary breaks
• Return to work more focused and refreshed
• Build healthier work habits over time

Your Privacy, Your Control

Private 15 embodies Workify's core philosophy: productivity tracking should empower you, not surveil you. You decide when tracking happens. No manager override, no forced monitoring—just honest, consent-based insights into your work patterns.

Download Workify today and take control of your productivity tracking with Private 15.