Do you maintain focus better when you're not constantly worrying about the time or needing to check your email? Then you'll love getting notifications for all of this.

When you are staring at a computer screen all day or night, the handiest things you can use are notifications. Some allow you to quickly see how many unread emails you have or if a storm is on the way. Then there are some that simply remind you when it is break time. These add-ons for Firefox do all of that and more.

Check Your Email

Gmail Notifier

Gmail Notifier by InBasic is an easy way to see how many unread emails you have for your Gmail accounts on the icon. This add-on has many settings to customize exactly what you need. You can set how often to check for new emails, which accounts and labels to check, if a new tab should be opened, and the toolbar behavior. Most importantly you can configure the notification with sounds, a tray or desktop notification, and how long the alert should be displayed for, in seconds. You can also click the icon for a view of your inbox.

GmailNotifier

Outlook Notifer

Outlook Notifier by BlackYoup [No longer available] is a good Firefox add-on if you use Outlook for your email. This one does not have as many customization options as the Gmail Notifier, but still works well. You can set the refresh schedule and sounds. You also have the option to ignore emails arriving to certain folders or all folders except the inbox. There is both a desktop notification with plenty of details and unread count on the icon.

OutlookNotifier

Fastest Notifier for Yahoo Mail [No Longer Available]

Fastest Notifier for Yahoo Mail is a convenient add-on for Yahoo Mail users. There are only three settings which include the notification pop-up width and height and then the refresh interval. Unfortunately, the icon does not have a count of unread emails. But, if you click the icon you still get a good view of your inbox.

YahooNotifier

Weather Watch

Fastest Weather Forecast [No Longer Available]

Fastest Weather Forecast obtains its data from The Weather Channel. So if you are a fan, this is a great add-on for you. What is nice about this one is that the notification is the current temperature for your location which is displayed on the icon.

For additional weather details, click the icon and you can see local alerts and current conditions along with a radar map and layer selections. You can also see the hourly, 36-hour, and 10-day forecasts. All information opens right within the pop-up instead of a new tab. It would be nice if the notifications included a severe weather alert.

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Forecast Plus [No Longer Available]

Forecast Plus comes from the same developer as the Yahoo Mail notifier above and gets its weather data from Weather Underground. This one has a temperature notification like the other weather add-on, but it also provides alerts for severe weather in your area.

This add-on reminds me of the Forecast Plus iPhone app in appearance. It has a ton of weather data when you click the icon. You can see plenty of details for current conditions, a regional radar map, and global temperatures. Clicking any of the areas for more information keeps you within the pop-up and shows you items like a 10-day forecast, almanac, air quality, and even astronomy details.

Break Time

Bell of Mindfulness [No Longer Available]

When it is time to remind yourself to take a break, whether from work or just the Internet, Bell of Mindfulness by SanTVN is a good Firefox add-on. It has a very simple concept, suggesting that when you hear the bells you should stop what you are doing and breathe while clearing your mind. Do this for 30 seconds before you return to your task.

By default, the add-on is set for a notification every 20 minutes, but you can change that in increments from 10 minutes up to one hour. The icon shows a countdown of when you can expect to hear the bells.

BellofMindfulness

Take a Break [No Longer Available]

Take A Break by Zen is another helpful reminder to take a break from your screen. This add-on places a coffee cup in your add-on bar. Every 15 minutes the icon will flash to remind you that it is time for a short break. Look away from your screen, take some deep breaths, or just relax for a few minutes.

Then a pop-up notification will display every hour reminding you to take a longer break. This is when you should get up and stretch or take a short walk. You can set the flash and rest intervals and durations, enable sounds, and add a custom message for your hourly notification.

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Which Firefox Notifications are Helpful to You?

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to notification add-ons for Firefox. Which ones do you use often and find the most useful? Please feel free to share your suggestions in the comments below!

Image Credit: Heat wave in the city and hand showing thermometer for high temperature; Modern office desktop via Shutterstock