Do you feel the stress build up as you work on your computer, hour after hour? Stuck in a Web browser, doomscrolling and feeling the pressure of all those unchceked to-do items on your daily list? Turns out that there’s now a Web browser that can help you relax and destress. Better yet, it’s beautiful too. It’s Opera Air.
We spend so much time in our Web browsers nowadays that they should probably include a Surgeon General’s warning when launched. Of course, it all depends on what you do and what sites you visit, but even with the most uplifting content, staring at your computer for hour after hour will invariably start to addle your brain. 🙂
That’s where one of the small, indie Web browser development groups has stepped in with an early release of the new Opera Air browser, the first Web browser design to help you retain your cheery disposition and mental health. Never heard of the Opera Web browser? You’re not alone. It’s a 1300-person software development company that originated in Oslo, Norway but is now based in Poland, and it’s been developing its titular Web browser since the late 1990s. It’s hard to compete with the big three – Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge – but Opera has its fan base and with the introduction of Opera Air, it might just be poised for something big…
Shortcuts: Download & Install | First Launch | Add a Boost | Take a Break
This first release of Opera Air is a “preview” version so things are undoubtedly going to change a fair bit over the next few months. Still, since it’s built atop the stable Opera browser, it’s a solid, reliable browser that’s ready for your online adventures. Let’s check it out!
DOWNLOAD & INSTALL OPERA AIR
To start out, close your eyes and take a deeeeep breath. Let it out slowly. Ready? Go to www.opera.com/air/ to find this:
Click on “Download Opera Air” to proceed. There are currently versions for both Windows and MacOS. I’m downloading it within Microsoft Edge (sorry, Edge!) so I see this once the initial installer package is ready:
Click on “Open File” and you’ll get to the installer. Take another deep breath, roll your shoulders gently as you breath out, and…
My general approach is to uncheck everything, but in this instance, since I want to use Opera Air for a few days to decide whether I want to truly switch, I am going to uncheck “Help improve Opera Air by sending feature usage information” and “Make Opera Air the default browser”. I will choose to “Import bookmarks and data from the default browser” (which is currently Edge).
All set up with your preferences? Click on “Install“.
WELCOME TO OPERA AIR
You’ve done well, the browser’s now installed. You get to pick a default wallpaper and specify your preference with a few more options, then Opera Air launches:
It’s a very “bubbly” user interface, but quite pleasant. You can see on the Bookmarks Bar that it did pick up all the bookmarks from my Microsoft Edge configuration. Tabs are along the top, and the address bar is in the middle. It’s a fast, entirely functional Web browser.
But what about all those mindfulness options and features? You won’t find any of them in Settings (something I expect will change in the future) but you can access them with the floating bar on the left side.
TIME FOR A BOOST?
Start by clicking on the stylized flower icon, which reveals that it’s the path to “Boosts”, as explained:
It says “Stimulate different brain waves through music and sound to boost creativity, relieve stress, recall dreams, and more.” Quite a promise for a Web browser, isn’t it?
A click on Boosts and you’ll see that there are quite a few options, with the most popular highlighted:
These are really slick, actually, and doubly so if you have headphones (for the best audio effect). Try Creativity Boost.
With this running, the browser plays a very relaxing low-fi musical track along with adding some ultra-low frequency theta waves (6Hz) that are supposed to boost creativity. Whether you feel more creative or not, it is quite relaxing and far better than the ambient sounds in most modern work environments. This is intended to run in the background while you’re studying, working, creating, or whatever else you do with your Web browser.
MAYBE IT’S TIME FOR A BREAK
The second of the options on the floating sidebar is the most valuable, in my opinion: Breaks. Click on the Take a Break option:
Notice that both here and with Boosts there are handy keyboard shortcuts.
This is the real value of the new Opera Air browser. Breaks:
These are fairly long – particularly the “Full Body Scan” at 8-15 minutes. You probably don’t have time to do that every 45 minutes of the day, but imagine how chill and relaxed you’d be if you did!
These task breaks are most useful when they are triggered by your sustained focus and activity. Click on the “•••” button on the top right to set how often you want to be interrupted and reminded to take a break:
Try both voices, but then make sure you “Enable” breaks and specify a reasonable frequency for your own workflow.
That’s it, the key features of the chill new Opera Air web browser. Simple additions and features, but if you use them regularly, you might just find yourself a bit happier and a bit more relaxed at the end of each workday. Now, take one more deeeep breath and let it out slowly, and give Opera Air a try.
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