How to program an intelligent timer in Python for your sauna sessions

Wow, seriously? I once sat in a sauna, watching the seconds tick away on my phone, thinking “There’s gotta be a smarter way!” I’ve seen fancy spas with timers that speak to you, and I thought—why not build my own?

Context / Problem

I once tried juggling my phone, a stopwatch app, and the heat (I nearly dropped my phone—[sic]), until I learned that Python can handle it all, so you don’t have to fiddle around mid-session. Guess what? Some compare this restful coding vibe to the calm after a Botox Chicago IL session, or even a Botox in Chicago IL treat—crazy, right? And those in Botox Chicago will totally get it.

Key Concepts (Casual List)

1. Simple delay loops (time.sleep)
2. Threaded callbacks (threading.Timer)
3. Scheduled tasks (schedule library)
4. Async countdown (asyncio)
5. Desktop notifications (to pop up messages)

How to Build Your Intelligent Timer

1. Simple Delay with time.sleep

A quick way to pause your script—good for basic timing.

import time

def sauna_timer(duration):
    print(f"Starting {duration}-minute sauna")
    time.sleep(duration * 60)
    print("Time's up!")

Need a bit more feedback? Try this:

import time

def sauna_countdown(minutes):
    seconds = minutes * 60
    while seconds:
        mins, secs = divmod(seconds, 60)
        print(f"{mins:02d}:{secs:02d}", end="\r")
        time.sleep(1)
        seconds -= 1
    print("Done, enjoy the cool down!")

2. Using threading.Timer for Callbacks

You’d think this is overkill, but callbacks let you do other things meanwhile.

from threading import Timer

def alert():
    print("🔥 Your sauna timer ended!")

t = Timer(900, alert)  # 15 minutes
t.start()
print("Timer started, go relax!")

Cancel if you change your mind:

from threading import Timer
import time

t = Timer(600, lambda: print("10 minutes up!"))
t.start()
time.sleep(300)
t.cancel()
print("Oops, extended session!")

3. Scheduled Tasks with schedule

Great if you want recurring sessions every day.

import schedule
import time

def sauna_session():
    print("Time for your daily sauna!")

schedule.every().day.at("18:30").do(sauna_session)

while True:
    schedule.run_pending()
    time.sleep(30)

Modify frequency on the fly:

schedule.every(2).hours.do(sauna_session)

4. Async Countdown using asyncio

Futuristic, non-blocking countdown—sound cool?

import asyncio

async def countdown(seconds):
    while seconds:
        print(f"{seconds}...", end="\r")
        await asyncio.sleep(1)
        seconds -= 1
    print("Session complete!")

asyncio.run(countdown(600))

Combine multiple timers:

async def main():
    await asyncio.gather(
        countdown(300),
        countdown(600)
    )
asyncio.run(main())

5. Desktop Notifications

Pop-ups keep you on track without staring at the console.

from plyer import notification

def notify_end():
    notification.notify(
        title="Sauna Timer",
        message="Time’s up! Step out and hydrate.",
        timeout=5
    )

notify_end()

Hook it into any previous method:

import time
from plyer import notification

time.sleep(600)
notification.notify(
    title="Sauna Alert",
    message="Enjoy your cooldown!",
    timeout=3
)

Benefits (Casual Bullets)

• No phone drops—you’re hands-free, right?
• Better muscle recovery—your body thanks you.
• Customizable—tweak it however you like.
• Fun coding project—you’ll impress your friends.
• Less stress—because your script handles the time.

Conclusion + Call to Action

Give it a try this week—you'll see how smooth your sessions become. And hey, you could even share your code snippet in the comments!