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Breathing Exercise Timer
Use this free breathing exercise timer to slow down and breathe on a steady rhythm. Pick a technique — box breathing, 4-7-8, or coherent breathing — set your session length, and follow the expanding circle as it guides each inhale, hold, and exhale, with a count of every breath you finish.
5 minutes is a good default. Shorter sessions of 2 to 3 minutes still help when time is tight.
Ready — press Start when you are comfortable
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Breaths finished: 0 · Time left: 5 min 0 sec
| Part | Value |
|---|---|
| Inhale | 4 sec |
| Hold after inhale | 4 sec |
| Exhale | 4 sec |
| Hold after exhale | 4 sec |
| One full breath | 16 sec |
| Full breaths in session | 18 |
Sit comfortably and breathe gently through your nose. Stop and breathe normally if you feel lightheaded.
How it works
Slow breathing works because the out-breath is calming. When you breathe out slowly, your heart rate eases down a little; when you breathe in, it rises a little. Stretching the breath out to 10, 16, or 19 seconds per cycle keeps that slow rhythm going, and following a fixed count stops your mind from rushing ahead to the next thing. The timer's job is to hold the count for you, so all you do is follow the circle.
The circle grows while you breathe in and shrinks while you breathe out. During a hold it stays still. The number under it counts down the seconds left in the current step, and the label tells you what to do: breathe in, hold, or breathe out. A breath is counted as finished when the circle completes a full cycle and starts the next one.
4-7-8 breathing: 4 + 7 + 8 = 19 seconds per breath
Coherent breathing: 5 + 5 = 10 seconds per breath
Full breaths in a session = session seconds ÷ seconds per breath (rounded down)
Box breathing is the most even pattern: four seconds in, four seconds holding, four seconds out, four seconds holding. It is the pattern many people learn first, because every side of the box is the same and there is nothing to remember. At 16 seconds a breath, it gives about 3.75 breaths per minute, which is much slower than the 12 to 20 breaths per minute most adults take at rest.
4-7-8 breathing has a long exhale on purpose. You breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and breathe out slowly for 8. There is no hold after the exhale; the next breath starts straight away. At 19 seconds a breath, it gives about 3.2 breaths per minute. The 7-second hold can feel long at first, so sit down for your first few tries and switch to coherent breathing if it feels uncomfortable.
Coherent breathing is the simplest pattern of all: 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out, no holds. At 10 seconds a breath, it gives exactly 6 breaths per minute, and it is the best choice if holds make you feel lightheaded. Whatever technique you pick, breathe gently through your nose and let the air come in on its own. Forcing a deep breath in defeats the purpose.
Worked example
You choose box breathing for a 5-minute session.
Step 1: One full breath — 4 seconds in + 4 seconds hold + 4 seconds out + 4 seconds hold = 16 seconds.
Step 2: Breaths per minute — 60 ÷ 16 = 3.75, shown as 3.8 breaths per minute.
Step 3: Session seconds — 5 minutes × 60 = 300 seconds.
Step 4: Full breaths — 300 ÷ 16 = 18.75, so 18 full breaths fit in the session, using 288 seconds, with 12 seconds of a 19th breath left over when time runs out.
The result is 18 full breaths in 5 minutes, 3.8 breaths per minute — exactly what the calculator shows for those inputs.
FAQ
What is box breathing?
Box breathing is a pattern of four equal parts: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds, then repeat. Each full breath takes 16 seconds, which is about 3.75 breaths per minute. It is used to slow a racing heart and steady focus, and it is easy to remember because every side of the box is the same length.
What is 4-7-8 breathing?
4-7-8 breathing is breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and breathe out slowly for 8 seconds, with no hold after the exhale. Each breath takes 19 seconds, which is about 3.2 breaths per minute. The long exhale is the point of the exercise: a slow out-breath is calming. It is often used before bed, so try it sitting down first and stop if you feel lightheaded.
How long should a breathing session last?
Five minutes is a good session length for most people, and it is the default in this timer. Shorter sessions of 2 to 3 minutes still help when you only have a few minutes. Longer sessions of 10 minutes are fine once you are comfortable, but there is no need to push past the point where you stay relaxed. Regular short sessions beat one long session you never repeat.
Why do I feel lightheaded when I breathe slowly?
Feeling lightheaded usually means you are breathing too forcefully or holding your breath too long for your comfort. Breathe gently through your nose, let the air come in without forcing it, and switch to the easier coherent breathing pattern, 5 seconds in and 5 seconds out, with no holds. Sit down while you practice, and stop and breathe normally for a minute if the feeling does not pass.
Can breathing exercises replace medicine or therapy?
No. Slow breathing is a useful calming tool, and regular practice can lower stress in the moment, but it is not a treatment for anxiety, asthma, high blood pressure, panic attacks, or any other health condition. Keep taking prescribed medicine and follow your doctor's advice, and talk to a doctor if breathing exercises make you dizzy, short of breath, or unwell.