How to use the online timer
Fifteen minutes is enough time for a proper relaxation session — long enough to notice tension actually leaving the body, without demanding the kind of extended commitment that makes a practice easy to skip on a busy day. This can take the shape of progressive muscle relaxation, slow guided breathing, or simply lying still with attention moving deliberately through the body, tensing and releasing each area in turn.
The setting matters more for straightforward relaxation than for some other timed practices, since the goal here is purely to lower physical and mental tension rather than build a skill over time. A dim, quiet room, a comfortable temperature, and a body that's not fighting an uncomfortable position all support what the fifteen minutes is trying to achieve.
Noticing where tension tends to sit — shoulders, jaw, and hands are common spots — and deliberately softening those areas rather than waiting for general relaxation to reach them tends to get more out of a short session. Standing or moving straight from a chair into the next demanding task right as the timer ends undoes a good portion of the benefit; even a minute of easing back into normal movement helps it carry over.
Common questions
Do I need to do anything active or can I just lie still?
Either works — progressive muscle relaxation or guided breathing are common approaches, but simply lying still with attention on the body also serves the same purpose.
Why do I feel tense again so soon after finishing?
Moving straight into a demanding task right after can undo some of the benefit. A minute or two easing back into normal activity helps it carry over.
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