Breathing exercise · 4 · 7 · 8
4-7-8 breathing: 12 rounds for a hard conversation, before something difficult
Simple counts — 4 · 7 · 8 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The ratio is 4 in, hold for 7, 8 out. Only the out-breath needs any attention. It works best in the hour before something difficult. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
This ratio is used a lot before sleep, because a long exhale is what your breathing already does as you fall asleep.
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 12 rounds this practice runs 228 seconds — about 3 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
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.
- A hold should feel like a pause, not like running out of air.
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 How to use Coherent 5-5 breathing for bedtime, when you are at home and cannot settle, How to use 4-6 breathing for a reset, after eating too much or 4-7-8 breathing — 4 · 7 · 8 — for being unwell, when you have just finished work.