Breathing exercise · 4 · 2 · 6
4-2-6 breathing — 4 · 2 · 6 — for jet lag, when you have woken up too early
A a short hold in the middle, a long way out pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The ratio is 4 in, hold for 2, 6 out. Only the out-breath needs any attention. Waking too early is a specific kind of frustrating. This helps with the frustration. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
The hold, where there is one, is short. The work is in the length of the release, not the pause.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 2s | 4s |
| Exhale | 6s | 6s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 144 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
- when you are the only person awake in the house
Tips
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
Please note
If holding your breath makes you dizzy or uncomfortable, skip the holds entirely and breathe slowly and evenly instead. Never push through lightheadedness. If you are pregnant, or manage a heart, blood pressure or lung condition, check with a doctor before doing breath holds.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try Physiological sigh exercise for a night shift — when you cannot concentrate on anything else, Double-inhale sigh: 12 rounds for a noisy room, when you are not sure this will work or 4-2-6 breathing exercise for a ten-minute window — when you want to be left alone.