This mindfulness timer is free, forever. No account. No notifications. No premium plan. You open the page, set the duration, and sit. That's the whole experience — intentionally so.
The bell sounds at the start and end of each session. If you choose interval bells, a softer tone reminds you to return attention to the present moment when the mind has wandered. This is the only prompt you'll receive. The rest is silence — yours.
Mindfulness-based interventions have been studied in hundreds of peer-reviewed trials. The evidence base is strongest for stress reduction (MBSR protocols show consistent cortisol reductions), anxiety and depression, and attention and focus. Goyal et al. (2014, JAMA Internal Medicine) found moderate evidence that mindfulness programs improve anxiety and depression symptoms. Hölzel et al. (2011, Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging) reported gray matter changes after an 8-week mindfulness program in which participants meditated about 27 minutes a day on average.
The consistency of practice matters more than session length. Starting small, with 5 minutes daily, is easier to sustain than occasional long sessions.
If you have never meditated before, begin with 5 minutes daily for one week. The single instruction is simple: sit comfortably, close your eyes, and notice the sensation of breathing. When your mind wanders — which it will, continuously — gently return your attention to the breath. That return is the practice. The mind wandering is not a failure; it is the repetition that builds the neural pathway.
After one week at 5 minutes, extend to 10 minutes, then lengthen your sessions gradually as sitting still becomes more comfortable. The bell signals the end of your session — until then, there is nothing to do but sit.