Breathing exercise · 4 · 7 · 8
4-7-8 breath (4 · 7 · 8) for coming down after exercise, when you feel restless rather than tired
Simple counts — 4 · 7 · 8 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
You can keep the in-breath completely ordinary. Only the out-breath needs to be longer.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 190 seconds — about 3 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you walk into a room full of people
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
Tips
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- Rest for a few seconds between rounds if the pattern feels demanding.
- 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 Beginner box breathing exercise for a ten-minute window — when you are doing this for the first time, Coherent 4-4 breathing exercise for a reset — when you want to be left alone or 4-7-8 breathing — 4 · 7 · 8 — for physical discomfort, if you are doing this in the middle of the day.