Breathing exercise · 4 · 7 · 8
4-7-8 breath (4 · 7 · 8) for a hospital waiting room, if you are fitting this around other people
4 · 7 · 8 breathing: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 4 counts to breathe in, hold for 7, and 8 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. It is designed to fit around other people’s schedules. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
Doubling the exhale changes the ratio your body uses to decide how safe it is.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 7s | 4s |
| Exhale | 8s | 11s |
One round is 19 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 152 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
- while you are waiting for something to start
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
Tips
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- If holding for the full count feels tight, drop every number by one. The shape matters more than the size.
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 3-6 breathing — 3 · 6 — for a reset, when nothing else has worked today, 4-7-8 breathing: 5 rounds for a hot day, when you are waiting for something or Beginner box breathing exercise for a noisy room — when the house is busy.