Breathing Timer: Box Breathing, 4-7-8 and More

Pick a pattern, press Start, and breathe along with the circle. The timer does the counting, so all you have to do is follow it.

How to Use the Breathing Timer

1. Choose a pattern. Box breathing if you need to calm down and stay sharp, 4-7-8 or long exhale to wind down, resonance for a longer daily practice.
2. Pick a session length. Three minutes is a good start. Resonance breathing works best over ten minutes or more.
3. Press Start and breathe out fully during the three-second countdown.
4. Follow the circle. Breathe in while it grows, hold while it stays still, and breathe out while it shrinks. The number in the middle is the count you're on.
5. Turn on Sound if you'd rather close your eyes. A high tone means breathe in, a middle tone means hold, a low tone means breathe out.

If the counts feel too long, switch Pace to Quick. The rhythm stays the same and each count gets shorter. Your pattern, length and pace are remembered next time you open the page.

Which Breathing Pattern Should You Use?

Box breathing has its own step-by-step guide. The other three are covered in our guide to breathing techniques for sleep, including when to pick which.

What the Research Says About Breathing Exercises

Slow, paced breathing has reasonable evidence behind it, though less than the confident claims around it suggest. A 2023 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Guy Fincham and colleagues found that breathwork lowered self-reported stress compared with control conditions. The effect was small to medium, and the authors called for better-designed trials before drawing firm conclusions.

One of the more direct comparisons comes from Stanford. In a month-long study by Melis Yilmaz Balban and colleagues, people did five minutes of breathwork or mindfulness meditation every day. Box breathing was one of the techniques tested. An exhale-focused exercise called cyclic sighing improved mood more than meditation did.

The specific counts matter less than the pace. There is little research on the exact 4-7-8 rhythm; most of the evidence is for slow breathing in general, especially with a long exhale. So pick the pattern you find easiest to keep up, and practice it on calm days too, so it's familiar when you need it.

Breathe Safely

• Feeling lightheaded? Breathe more gently, shorten the counts with the Quick pace, or switch to the long exhale pattern, which has no holds. If the dizziness doesn't pass, stop and breathe normally.
• Breath holds aren't for everyone. If you have a heart or lung condition, check with your doctor before practicing patterns with long holds, like 4-7-8.
• It's a tool, not a treatment. If anxiety or poor sleep is affecting your daily life, talk to a doctor or therapist, and use breathing exercises alongside whatever they recommend. Our guide on how to deal with anxiety covers other approaches.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should you do box breathing?

Start with one to three minutes. One round of box breathing takes 16 seconds at the normal pace, so a minute is about four rounds. For a longer reset before something stressful, try five minutes.

What is 4-7-8 breathing?

4-7-8 breathing means breathing in for 4 counts, holding for 7 and breathing out for 8. The long exhale is why people use it to wind down before sleep. If the hold feels like a strain, use the long exhale pattern instead: in for 4, out for 8.

Is it normal to feel lightheaded during breathing exercises?

Mild lightheadedness is common when you're new to slow breathing, and it usually means you're breathing too deeply. Breathe more gently, shorten the counts with the Quick pace, or stop and breathe normally until it passes.

Can I use the breathing timer on my phone?

Yes. The timer works in any modern mobile browser, and in browsers that support it, it keeps your screen from dimming while a session runs.

Does the breathing timer work with my eyes closed?

Yes, with Sound turned on. Each phase starts with its own tone, so you can follow the rhythm without watching the screen.