Box breathing timer for a 4-4-4-4 count
Box breathing is four equal parts: in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, out for 4, and hold for 4. This page opens on that count.
Breathing Guide · Other pages: 4-7-8 breathing · Coherent breathing
How box breathing paces the 4-4-4-4 count
One box breath is 16 seconds, which is 3.75 breaths a minute. The circle grows for the first four seconds, stays full for the hold, shrinks for the out-breath, and stays small for the second hold. The square shape does the same timing as a lap: up the left side, across the top, down the right, and along the bottom. The number in the middle is the seconds left in the current part, and it never shows zero. A five minute session finishes at the end of a breath, so the screen reads 5:04 and 19 breaths. That extra four seconds is the last hold, not a cut-off in the middle of an out-breath. Press End if you want to stop sooner. The summary then uses the time so far and only the breaths you finished. Breathe again starts the same 4-4-4-4 count from the three-count. Change pattern returns you to the chips, where 4-7-8, coherent, and long exhale are one tap away. The steppers under the shape edit a single part and switch the page to Custom, so the box link itself stays a short address. Cue can be off, a bell at the start of the in-breath and the out-breath, or a quiet tone that rises and falls with the shape. Holds stay silent on the bell. You can close your eyes and follow the sound. A rain mix from the Sound control plays underneath and is not ducked on every breath.
Leave the page on the screen beside your keyboard and press F. Equal sides are easy to follow from a chair when the square is large, and the bars hide once the session is running. On an iPad, use Share, then Add to Home Screen, and set Auto-Lock to Never so the count is not cut off.
Breathe gently. If you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, stop and breathe normally.
FAQ
What is the box breathing count on this page?
Four seconds in, four holding, four out, and four holding again. The four parts are the same length, so the shape spends the same time growing, resting, shrinking, and resting. One breath is sixteen seconds. The page calls this Box breathing, and the chips at the top are how you leave it for another count.
How long should I run a box breathing timer?
This page opens at five minutes, which is nineteen breaths once the last breath is allowed to finish. Three minutes and ten minutes are on the session control, and Open runs until you press End. A first try can be three minutes. You can copy the link if you want the same length again tomorrow.
Do I breathe through my nose for box breathing?
Use the nose if that is comfortable, and the mouth if it is not. The page does not check which you use. It only marks the four seconds. Keep the breath easy enough that you could speak a short sentence afterwards. If the hold feels too long, shorten it on the Custom steppers.