Building a "Digital Sanctuary": Why I created a mindfulness tool that lives between my tabs

Hey Indie Hackers,

If you’re anything like me, your browser is where you live. It’s where you build, where you market, where you research, and - let’s be honest - where you occasionally lose your mind in a sea of 50 open tabs.

A few months ago, I realized that my browser had become a source of constant low-level stress. I was jumping from GitHub to Indie Hackers to Stripe, always "on," always rushing. I realized I needed a way to break that cycle without actually leaving my workspace.

That’s why I built Thank God.

What is it?

It’s a Chrome extension that acts as a "Floating Sanctuary." At scheduled times throughout the day, a gentle, glassmorphic bubble appears on your screen with a daily blessing or a piece of wisdom. It’s a 3-second prompt to take a deep breath, find a moment of gratitude, and then get back to work with a clearer head.

The "Just My Type" Connection

Some of you might remember my other project, Just My Type (a local-first snippet manager). While that tool was about saving time and being efficient, Thank God is about saving your sanity.

Interestingly, I applied the same "engineering-first" principles here:

• Privacy-First: Just like Just My Type, all your data (like your gratitude history) stays local to your browser.

• Non-Intrusive: I used Shadow DOM injection to make sure the "Sanctuary Bubble" never messes with the layout of the websites you’re visiting.

• Performance: No heavy trackers or external API calls. It’s light, fast, and stays out of the way until you need it.

Why "Thank God"?

I chose the name because, for me, gratitude is a spiritual practice. But whether you’re religious or just someone who needs a reminder to "stop and smell the digital roses," the goal is the same: shifting from a mindset of scarcity and stress to one of abundance and peace.

What’s next?

I’ve just added a "Dismiss" feature (by popular request!) so the bubble stays until you’ve actually taken that moment to acknowledge it. I’m also working on an achievement system to gamify the habit of mindfulness.

I’d love to hear how you all manage "browser burnout." Do you use any tools to keep yourself grounded while hacking away?

Give it a spin and let me know what you think: Thank God on the Chrome Web Store

Stay peaceful,
Ronen