Source: https://sober44.com/tools/box-breathing-timer-for-cravings/

Sober44 is a free alcohol-free tracker app for iOS and Android: count sober days, see money and drinks saved, plan a taper and follow health milestones.

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# Box Breathing Timer for Cravings

Set how many seconds to count on each side of the box and how many rounds to breathe, and the timer shows how long the session will take before you start. Press Start and follow the square: breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold. When the last round ends, it asks whether the craving is weaker. It's a coping tool, not medical advice, and nothing you enter leaves your browser.

_Interactive tool: open [the web page](https://sober44.com/tools/box-breathing-timer-for-cravings/) to use it. This Markdown copy has the text only._

Shaking, sweating, confusion, hallucinations or seizures after you cut down or stop drinking can be alcohol withdrawal, which needs medical care, not a breathing exercise. Call 911 or your local emergency number for a seizure, hallucinations or severe confusion.

A coping tool, not medical advice. Nothing you enter is saved or sent.

## How the timer works out your session

Box breathing has four equal sides: breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold. One round is all four, so it lasts four times your count. That’s the pattern [Cleveland Clinic](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/box-breathing-benefits) describes, with a count of four on each side.

The timer multiplies one round by the number of rounds to get the session length. Your pace is 60 seconds divided by one round, which comes to 15 ÷ your count, rounded to one decimal. The common counts work out like this:

| Seconds per side | One round | Breaths a minute | 4 rounds | 10 rounds |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 8 s | 7.5 | 0:32 | 1:20 |
| 3 | 12 s | 5.0 | 0:48 | 2:00 |
| 4 | 16 s | 3.8 | 1:04 | 2:40 |
| 5 | 20 s | 3.0 | 1:20 | 3:20 |
| 6 | 24 s | 2.5 | 1:36 | 4:00 |
| 8 | 32 s | 1.9 | 2:08 | 5:20 |
| 10 | 40 s | 1.5 | 2:40 | 6:40 |

### Using the timer

- The dot travels up the left side while you breathe in, across the top while you hold, down the right side while you breathe out and along the bottom for the second hold. The side you’re on lights up.
- The word in the middle tells you what to do, and the big number counts down the seconds left on that side.
- Pause stops the count where it is, and Resume carries on from the same point. Reset takes you back to the start. If you switch tabs or lock your phone, the timer pauses itself.
- Sound is off by default. Turn it on for a short tone at each change: a higher one to breathe in and a lower one to breathe out.
- If your device is set to reduce motion, the dot and the circle stay still. The side highlight, the word and the countdown still change.

## How many rounds to set when a craving hits

Cleveland Clinic’s guide says to “repeat for three to four rounds,” so the timer starts at 4 rounds of 4 seconds: 1:04. That’s the short first set our [box breathing guide for alcohol cravings](https://sober44.com/blog/box-breathing-for-alcohol-cravings/) suggests.

You can also go longer. The [NHS breathing exercise for stress](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/), which has no holds, runs for “at least 5 minutes,” and the people in a [Stanford breathing study](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9873947/) practiced for 5 minutes a day. At 4 seconds per side, 19 rounds takes 5:04.

A craving tends to pass on its own. [NIAAA](https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/tools/worksheets-more/how-stop-alcohol-cravings) calls urges to drink “short-lived” and says an urge “will soon crest like an ocean wave and pass.” A [VA handout on cravings](https://www.mirecc.va.gov/MIRECC/visn5/EBT/CBT-SUD/Facts_about_Cravings.asp) says each wave “never lasts more than a few minutes.” Nobody has pinned down one number that fits everyone, so plan in sets:

1. Run one set. Four rounds at 4 seconds is about a minute.
2. When it ends, answer the check: is the craving weaker?
3. If it isn’t, press Go again.
4. If it still hasn’t eased after 10 to 15 minutes, change where you are. [SMART Recovery](https://smartrecovery.org/blog/5-ways-to-deal-with-urges-and-cravings) says that if an urge lasts that long, chances are you’re still around whatever set it off.

Afterward, it helps to note what set the craving off. [Common drinking triggers](https://sober44.com/blog/common-drinking-triggers/) walks through stress, social situations, habit and boredom, and how to plan for each.

## Choosing your count, and what to do if the holds feel hard

Four seconds is the classic count, but it isn’t the only one. The US Defense Department’s [HPRC](https://www.hprc-online.org/mental-fitness/sleep-stress/optimize-your-breath-tactical-breathing-optimize-performance-stress) starts its version at 3 seconds and goes up to 4 to 6 seconds “if you feel comfortable.” In the Stanford study, each person’s count was set by a carbon dioxide tolerance test, from 3-4 seconds up to 8-10 seconds. That’s why this timer runs from 2 to 10.

Cleveland Clinic’s rule is to stay at your comfort level and not strain. If the holds make you light-headed or uncomfortable, lower the count to 3, or to 2 for a while. If holding your breath at all feels bad, switch to the NHS version: breathe in gently, counting up to 5 if you can, and breathe out the same way, with no holds. Stop and breathe normally if you feel unwell.

Box breathing is silent and you can do it with your eyes open, so it works at a table, at a party or in the kitchen at the hour you’d usually pour a drink. Keep the sound off and follow the square on the screen.

## When it’s more than a craving

Shaking, sweating, confusion, hallucinations or seizures after you cut down or stop drinking can be alcohol withdrawal, which needs medical care, not a breathing exercise. Call 911 or your local emergency number for a seizure, hallucinations or severe confusion.

According to [MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000764.htm), withdrawal symptoms “tend to peak by 24 to 72 hours.” If you think you’re in withdrawal, contact a health care provider right away or go to the emergency room. For free, confidential help at any hour, the [SAMHSA National Helpline](https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline) is open 24/7 at [1-800-662-4357](tel:18006624357).

If the drink did happen, one slip doesn’t erase the days before it. See [how to think about your sober date after a relapse](https://sober44.com/blog/should-you-reset-your-sober-date-after-a-relapse/).

If you’d like this on your phone, [Sober44](https://sober44.com/#download) keeps box breathing a tap away from its craving log: note how strong the craving is and what set it off, then tap Breathe. Logging a craving never resets your sober count, and everything stays on your phone.

## Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about box breathing timer for cravings

### How long is one round of box breathing?

One round is all four sides (breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold), so it lasts four times your count. At 4 seconds per side, one round is 16 seconds. At 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 seconds per side it’s 8, 12, 20, 24, 32 and 40 seconds. Multiply one round by the number of rounds for the whole session: 4 rounds at 4 seconds is 1:04, and 10 rounds at 3 seconds is 2:00.

### How many rounds of box breathing should I do?

Cleveland Clinic says to repeat it for “three to four rounds,” which is why this timer starts at 4. For a longer sit, the NHS breathing exercise for stress (which has no holds) runs for “at least 5 minutes,” and a Stanford breathing study had people practice for 5 minutes a day. At 4 seconds per side, 19 rounds is 5:04. During a craving, finish one set, check how strong the urge is, and go again if you need to. Our [box breathing guide for alcohol cravings](https://sober44.com/blog/box-breathing-for-alcohol-cravings/) covers what to try between sets.

### How many breaths per minute is box breathing?

One breath (in and out) takes a full round, so breaths per minute = 60 ÷ (4 × your count), which is the same as 15 ÷ your count. At 4 seconds per side that’s 3.75 breaths a minute, shown here as 3.8. At 3 seconds it’s 5, at 2 seconds 7.5 and at 10 seconds 1.5. Some timers say 4-4-4-4 works out to about 8 breaths a minute, but a 16-second round only fits into a minute 3.75 times.

### Is 4-4-4-4 the only box breathing count?

No. Box breathing means four equal sides, and the count is up to you. The US Defense Department’s HPRC starts its version at 3 seconds and suggests going up to 4 to 6 seconds “if you feel comfortable.” In a Stanford study, people’s counts ran from 3-4 seconds up to 8-10 seconds, set by a carbon dioxide tolerance test that timed how long each person took to breathe out fully. Cleveland Clinic’s advice is to stay at your comfort level and not strain. That’s why this timer takes anything from 2 to 10 seconds per side.

### What if the holds make me dizzy or feel bad?

Lower the count to 3, or to 2. The Stanford study told people who struggled to “simply reduce the duration,” and Cleveland Clinic says to breathe gently and not strain. This timer keeps all four sides equal, so if holding your breath still feels bad, try the NHS version, which has no holds: breathe in gently, counting up to 5 if you can, breathe out the same way, and keep going for at least 5 minutes. Stop and breathe normally if you feel unwell. Shaking, sweating, confusion, hallucinations or seizures after you cut down or stop drinking can be alcohol withdrawal, which needs medical care, not a breathing exercise. Call 911 or your local emergency number for a seizure, hallucinations or severe confusion.

### Does box breathing help with alcohol cravings?

It may help you ride one out, though the research covers breathing techniques in general. A 2026 meta-analysis in the journal Addiction found that breathing-based techniques lowered craving compared with control groups, with a “small but statistically significant and consistent effect” (g = 0.30, 12 studies, 696 participants). Box breathing wasn’t one of the techniques studied. NIAAA calls urges to drink “short-lived” and says an urge “will soon crest like an ocean wave and pass.” Box breathing gives you something steady to do while it does. [Our guide to box breathing for cravings](https://sober44.com/blog/box-breathing-for-alcohol-cravings/) goes through the research in more detail.

### What if the craving is still there when the timer ends?

Press Go again, then add something else. NIAAA’s list includes reminding yourself of your reasons for making a change, talking it through with someone you trust, distracting yourself with another activity and leaving tempting situations. SMART Recovery’s rule of thumb: if an urge isn’t gone in 10 to 15 minutes, chances are you’re still around whatever set it off, so change where you are. Shaking, sweating or confusion may be withdrawal rather than a craving, and that needs medical care. For free, confidential help at any hour, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at [1-800-662-4357](tel:18006624357).

### Can I do box breathing in the Sober44 app?

Yes. In [Sober44](https://sober44.com/#download), Breathing is under Tools on the home screen, and a Breathe button is one tap away after you log a craving. It uses 4 seconds for each side: a dot travels around a rounded square while a circle grows and shrinks, with a light vibration at each change and a cycle count. It runs once or on repeat. It has no count or rounds setting, so use this page if you want a different count. Breathing is free in the app, and craving logs are 2 a day without Pro. Logging a craving never resets your sober count, and everything stays on your phone.

## Related Tools

- [Alcohol Calorie Calculator](https://sober44.com/tools/alcohol-calorie-calculator/): See the calories in beer, wine, spirits and mixed drinks from pour size and ABV, split into alcohol and carbs, with weekly, monthly and yearly totals.
- [Alcohol Money Investment Calculator](https://sober44.com/tools/alcohol-money-investment-calculator/): See what the money saved from not drinking could grow to if you invested it, at 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 years, with a figure adjusted for inflation.
- [Alcohol Spending Calculator](https://sober44.com/tools/alcohol-spending-calculator/): List your usual drinks at home and out to see what you spend on alcohol a week, month, year and five years, and what cutting back by 25% to 100% saves.
- [Alcohol Taper Schedule Calculator](https://sober44.com/tools/alcohol-taper-schedule-calculator/): Turn your drinks a day, a target and a date into an alcohol taper schedule with a daily drink target. A planning aid for cutting back, not medical advice.