Set the timer to 18 seconds

How to use the online timer

Box breathing and other calming exercises work in blocks, and 18 seconds is a common length for the exhale or hold phase without a coach counting you through it aloud. Set it running, close your eyes if that helps, and let the countdown replace the mental tally you'd otherwise lose track of after a few rounds. It's a small tool, but it takes the guesswork out of pacing yourself.

Press Start and away it goes, counting down on its own without needing you to babysit it every few seconds. The only real rule is keeping this browser tab open, since the countdown pauses along with the page if you close it or shut the browser down entirely. Right at zero, a sound plays to let you know time's up, clear enough to hear from the next room over.

Setting an egg timer or fumbling with a phone app both work, but neither is as quick as a browser tab you already have open. There's no app store, no update prompt, and no login screen between you and starting the count. It's free and needs no registration, it works on any device with a browser, and closing other tabs won't affect it as long as this one stays open. People type this as set timer 18 seconds or timer for 18 seconds; both land here and start the same count.