There is a lot of data on the Internet about stress reduction, but there is no easy way to decide what to trust. I spent a little time reading research and vetting sources to figure out what should work. Once I figured out what I wanted (a good breathing exercise), I found a variety of solutions (pages, videos, apps) that on the surface seemed to offer what I was looking for. However they had problems:
Since none of the solutions I found were a good fit, I built a solution for myself and put it online so other people can use it too.
exhale.help is a 2-minute guided breathing exercise page. There are no settings, no ads, no account, no app, and no choices to make. You breathe slowly for a few minutes and hopefully settle a little. The page tries to minimize distractions as much as possible.
The design is intentionally simple. The lack of configuration is not a missing feature - it is the point. It is made for people who are stressed, overloaded, overwhelmed, or decision-fatigued.
Slow breathing has been studied for its effects on heart rate, heart rate variability, and stress-related physiology. Short sessions can change these signals while you're doing the exercise, but stronger effects are generally better supported with longer or repeated practice. This page starts with 2 minutes to make it easier to begin, then lets you continue if you want. After the initial two minutes I often am calm enough to keep going longer. After the initial two minutes a clock is shown so I can be confident I don't lose track of time.
A good fit if you:
Not the right fit if you:
I use the page as part of my morning routine and occasionally during the day and it works well for me. I hope it helps you too.
If someone you know could benefit, consider sharing it. It is a single HTML page and works without Internet access, so feel free to save and share as a file too.
I hope you find it useful.
I provide this page for free.
If you like [no pressure] you can support my work with a tip.
Thank you.
- Rob