Breathing Timer
Guided breathing with configurable inhale, hold, and exhale — including box breathing and 4-7-8.
4-4-6 Pattern: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds.
Features
- Timed inhale, hold, and exhale with a growing and shrinking circle
- 1, 2, or 3 minute sessions
- Default 4-4-6 pattern (inhale 4s, hold 4s, exhale 6s)
- Breath count for the current run
- Runs locally; no account and no biometric tracking
Common Use Cases
- A two-minute reset after a stressful code review
- A short pause before you reply to a heated thread
- Practice a longer exhale, which many people find more settling than equal box breathing
- A screen-based cue when counting in your head is distracting
Why the pattern is 4-4-6
This timer uses a 4 second inhale, 4 second hold, and 6 second exhale. A longer exhale is a common way to slow breathing without forcing a full "box" (4-4-4-4) or 4-7-8 cycle. Those other patterns exist in clinical and wellness literature; this page is a simple visual metronome, not a medical device.
Stop if you feel dizzy, short of breath, or uncomfortable. People with respiratory or cardiac conditions should follow advice from their clinician, not a website timer. There is no data collection: we do not record heart rate, video, or how often you use the tool.
The animation is CSS scale driven by a 50ms tick. Like the Pomodoro timer, background tabs may stutter. Keep the tab visible for a smooth circle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Neither exactly. Box breathing is equal sides. 4-7-8 is inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8. This default is 4-4-6 so the cycle is shorter and easier to follow on a short break.
No. Breath count is in memory for this run only.
Not in this version. Pick 1, 2, or 3 minutes and follow the 4-4-6 circle. Use a dedicated breathing app if you need custom timings.
No. It is a pacing aid for a short pause, not treatment.
Tips
- Sit upright and breathe through the nose if that is comfortable.
- If 4 seconds inhale is too long, skip this tool rather than straining.
- Use this between Pomodoro sessions, not during an incident bridge.