The simplest pattern that works
Five seconds in, five seconds out, no holds. Six breaths a minute. It is sometimes called coherence breathing or resonant breathing, and it is the pattern to reach for when you do not want to think about which pattern to reach for.
There is nothing to get wrong. No hold to strain against, no ratio to remember — just an even rhythm, slower than you would breathe on your own.
Why six breaths a minute
Most adults breathe twelve to twenty times a minute at rest. Around six is where the rhythm of the breath lines up with the natural rise and fall of heart rate, and the two reinforce each other rather than working independently.
You do not need to believe any of that for it to work. Slowing down and making the breath even is most of the benefit; the specific number is a refinement.
When to use it
Any time. This is the pattern for the middle of an ordinary working day, when nothing is wrong and you have simply been hunched over a keyboard for two hours breathing into the top third of your lungs.
Eight rounds is about eighty seconds. Short enough that there is no real excuse.
Where to breathe from
Let the belly move rather than the chest. A hand on the stomach is a useful check for the first few rounds — if it is not moving and your shoulders are, you are breathing shallowly.
Through the nose, both ways, if you can.
Questions
How often should I use a breathing timer?
Little and often beats one long session. A minute or two, a handful of times across a working day, does more than fifteen minutes once a week — which is the whole reason Glimt exists as a reminder rather than an app you have to remember to open.
Do I need to sit in any particular way?
No. Sitting upright in a chair with both feet on the floor is plenty. You do not need to close your eyes, and it works fine at a desk.
Is this the same as meditation?
No. Meditation is usually about where you put your attention. This is just about pacing the breath, and it is considerably easier to start with.