Which pattern to use
- Coherent breathing — the slow, unglamorous one. At roughly five and a half breaths a minute, heart rate variability reaches its maximum. Ten to twenty minutes daily is what changes your baseline.
- Box breathing — equal counts with holds. Steadies without sedating, which is why it is standard in military and emergency-services training. See how long to do it, or how to use it before a presentation.
- 4-7-8 — heavily weighted toward the exhale, and the most sedating here. Four cycles lying down is a full dose.
- Physiological sigh — two stacked inhales then a long exhale. The fastest acting, and the one to use when anxiety has already arrived.
- Extended exhale — in for four, out for eight. The simplest way to shift the balance toward the parasympathetic side.
There is more on all five, including when each backfires, in breathing exercises for anxiety.
Skip the patterns with holds if you are pregnant, have uncontrolled high blood pressure, epilepsy, a serious heart condition or a respiratory condition like COPD. Never practise breath holds in or near water. Stop if you feel lightheaded.
Common questions
Is this breathing timer free?
Yes. No signup, no account, no app to install. It runs in the browser and works offline once the page has loaded.
Which breathing pattern should I use?
The physiological sigh for acute anxiety, box breathing to stay steady under pressure, 4-7-8 for sleep, and coherent breathing at five and a half breaths a minute for daily practice.
How long should I use a breathing timer for?
One to five minutes for the fast patterns, ten to twenty minutes for coherent breathing. Daily repetition matters more than session length.