Box Breathing Timer: Free Online Breathing Timer With Visual Guide

This breathing timer runs right in your browser, so it works like a free breathing timer app without the download. Pick a pattern, press Start and let the shape guide every breath.

The circle in the middle grows as you inhale and shrinks as you exhale, and each side of the shape is labeled with its phase and seconds, so even a quick glance tells you where you are in the breath.

Box breathing, also called square breathing, is a four-part pattern where every phase lasts the same length: breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, breathe out for four and hold for four before the next breath. Picture tracing the sides of a square, which is exactly what the box breathing timer above does.

It’s often called tactical breathing because of its use in the military and among first responders as a way to stay steady under pressure. The equal count gives your mind something simple to follow, and the holds slow your breathing to under four breaths a minute.

Try it before a presentation, an exam or a difficult conversation, or whenever your thoughts start racing. If four seconds feels long, start at three and work up to five or six as the pattern gets easier.

The 4-7-8 technique was popularized by integrative medicine doctor Andrew Weil, who based it on yogic breathing practice. You inhale quietly through your nose for four seconds, hold for seven, then exhale fully through your mouth for eight.

The long exhale is the point. Breathing out for twice as long as you breathe in encourages a slower, calmer rhythm, which is why many people use a 4-7-8 breathing timer before bed or during a stressful moment. Weil suggests starting with four cycles at a time and building up gradually.

Counting to seven while holding can feel hard at first. The timer handles the counting, and the shape switches to a triangle because 4-7-8 has three phases instead of four.

Different patterns suit different moments. Each shape below shows how the pattern looks in the timer. Load any of them with one tap, then adjust the seconds if you need to.

Research on these techniques is still growing, but early results are encouraging. A 2023 Stanford study found that five minutes a day of breathwork improved mood more than mindfulness meditation, with exhale-focused breathing showing the strongest effect and box breathing also helping.

Every phase can be set from 0 to 20 seconds, which turns this into a fully custom breathing timer. Set a hold to zero to skip it, and the shape adabbts to match: four phases trace a square, three a triangle and two a circle.

• Make the exhale longer than the inhale when you want to calm down.
• Keep all phases equal when you want steady, alert focus.
• Start short. Three to five seconds per phase is comfortable for most people.
• Breathe in through your nose whenever you can.
• Add holds gradually, and drop them if you feel any strain.

Your custom pattern is saved automatically, so it’s ready the next time you open the page.

Counting breaths in your head is surprisingly easy to lose. The built-in breath counter does it for you online, tracking the current breath, total breaths this session and your practice minutes for today.

Breaths per minute = 60 ÷ seconds in one full breath

A 4-4-4-4 box pattern takes 16 seconds per breath, which works out to 3.75 breaths a minute. Coherent breathing at 5-5 lands at six. Most adults breathe around 12 to 20 times a minute at rest, so any of these patterns slows you down considerably.

Set a session length and the timer always finishes on a complete breath, so you never stop halfway through an exhale.

Animated breathing GIFs and the one-minute breathing exercise that Google shows in search results are handy for a quick reset, but they move at one fixed pace. This visual breathing timer adabbts to the pattern you choose and keeps going for as long as you need.

• Sit or lie down comfortably, especially for longer holds.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed and let your belly rise as you breathe in.
• If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, stop and return to normal breathing.
• If you are pregnant or have a heart or lung condition, check with your doctor before practicing breath holds.
• Never practice breath holds while driving or in water.

This tool supports relaxation and is not a medical treatment. Speak to a doctor about ongoing anxiety, sleep or breathing problems.