Last year I had a rough patch with anxiety. I’d lie on the floor staring at the ceiling, heart racing. I’d be unable to work but also unable to stop thinking about work. All the things I could be doing: reading, seeing friends, going for a walk… felt too hard.

Eventually I went to my GP and heard something that surprised me: this is incredibly common. About 17% of Australians experience an anxiety disorder each year. Nearly half will face a mental health challenge at some point. It didn’t make it feel less rubbish at the time, but at least if felt less isolating.

When self-care feels like another chore

When I first realised something was wrong, I did what everyone does: downloaded some mindfulness apps. They worked in theory, but in practice they became another source of stress.

Notifications pinged during meetings. Broken daily streaks brought quiet guilt. Every app wanted money, attention, or both. I needed help, but I didn’t have the energy to manage another thing.

I’m doing much better now. Even better than before the wobble. It took a combination of things: therapy, medication, exercise, talking to people I trust. But one of the simplest tools that helped was also the hardest to remember when I actually needed it: breathing exercises and grounding techniques.

Except I could never remember the steps. How long do I hold this breath? How many sounds am I supposed to notice?

Screenshot of Big Pause home page

So over some recent evenings and weekends, I built Big Pause.

You tap a button. You get one short prompt. That’s it.

No sessions to complete. No streaks to maintain. No programs to follow. Just a quick reset when you need it, nothing when you don’t.

Who it’s for

Most wellbeing tools assume you will:

  • set aside time
  • commit to a routine
  • listen, follow along, or complete something
  • return tomorrow and do it again

That works beautifully for some people, some of the time.

Big Pause is for all the other moments:

  • between back-to-back meetings when your shoulders are up by your ears
  • before you reply to that message that made your stomach drop
  • after the kids finally go to bed and you realise you’ve been clenching your jaw all day
  • when you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling because your brain needs a break but doesn’t know how to take one
  • in the supermarket queue when the overwhelm starts creeping in

It takes seconds, not minutes. You can use it on a crowded train, in a toilet cubicle, at your desk. Anywhere you need a moment but can’t roll out a yoga mat.

Box breathing exercise on Big Pause

What makes it different

Built for real life

Big Pause is designed to be opened and closed quickly.

If you close it after five seconds, that’s fine. There’s no judgement, no data tracking your ‘progress’, no notifications reminding you that you’re failing at self-care.

Quiet by default

Prompts are just text, no audio required.

I needed something I could use at work, on public transport, or anywhere people might be around. You can skim the text and follow along silently.

Text prompts are:

  • skimmable
  • usable anywhere without headphones
  • easy to stop at any time

For times when you want something more immersive, there’s an optional extra: tap the pause icon for gentle rain sounds and a calming animation.

Small on purpose

Each prompt is short and clear. No meditation philosophy. No complicated instructions. Just simple direction: ‘Place your hand on your chest. Feel it rise and fall three times.’

There are 80 prompts covering breathing, grounding, mindfulness, visualisation and gentle movement. You can favourite the ones that work for you. It works offline (handy on planes or the tube) and there’s no tracking, cookies, or accounts.

Why it’s free

Big Pause started as something I built for myself during a difficult patch. It helped, so I figured I’d put it out there in case it’s useful to anyone else.

No ads. No tracking. No login. No catch.

If you want to try it: https://bigpause.app