BreathPacer lives in your menubar and gives your breathing a quiet rhythm — no interruptions, no timers, no apps to open.
Download for macOSIn 2008, former Apple and Microsoft executive Linda Stone noticed something unsettling: people consistently hold their breath or breathe very shallowly while checking email and working at screens. She called it email apnea — later broadened to screen apnea.
It is not a habit you can think your way out of. The moment you focus on a task, your nervous system treats the screen as a mild threat and your breathing becomes the first casualty.
The fix is not meditation or scheduled breaks. It is a persistent, ambient cue that keeps your breath moving without ever demanding your attention.
A breathing orb expands and contracts at your chosen rhythm. It lives in a small popover — glanceable, never in the way.
An optional ambient glow pulses along whichever screen edge you choose — bottom, top, left, or right. It floats above every window and fades at the edges so it reads as light rather than UI.
Optionally, the display brightness shifts slightly brighter on inhale and slightly dimmer on exhale — a cue so subtle it registers below conscious attention. The app reads your brightness at each phase transition so you can always override it freely.
A small pulsing dot in the menu bar confirms the session is running. Breath count and elapsed time are in the popover whenever you need a check-in.
Each preset sets the inhale, hold, exhale, and hold-out durations. Pick the one that fits your state.
The research default for heart rate variability. Slow enough to activate the parasympathetic system without requiring concentration.
Andrew Weil's technique. The extended hold and long exhale are particularly effective for releasing acute tension or winding down.
Used in military and high-performance training. Four equal phases — in, hold, out, hold — build focus and regulate the autonomic system symmetrically.
A gentle reset at a more natural pace. No holds — just a slightly longer exhale than inhale, good for maintaining rhythm during active focus sessions.
An ambient gradient pulses along the chosen screen edge in sync with your breath. Floats above all windows. Off by default — enable it in the sparkles panel.
Places the glow strip on whichever screen edge is least distracting for your setup. Bottom works well for most desks; left or right suits ultrawide monitors.
Controls how bright the glow strip gets at peak inhale. The orb and glow track the same scale so they feel unified even at low intensity.
Nudges your display brightness slightly brighter on inhale, slightly dimmer on exhale. The range stays narrow so it never interferes with your work — it registers as a sensation more than a visible change.
How far the display shifts from your current brightness in each direction. 3–5 % is noticeable without being distracting. The app reads your actual brightness at each phase transition, so you can always adjust screen brightness freely mid-session — the app follows you.
No account, no subscription, no background services. Quit from the app itself whenever you want.
Download BreathPacer