Breathing exercise · 4 · 7 · 8
4-7-8 breathing — 4 · 7 · 8 — for exam nerves, when you are at home and cannot settle
A 4 · 7 · 8 rhythm — in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
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. Being at home and unable to settle is a very specific problem. Stay with what you can actually feel.
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 4 rounds this practice runs 76 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- It is fine to breathe through your mouth if your nose is blocked. Nose is usually easier.
- Holding your breath is optional in every exercise here. You can always breathe through instead.
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 Soft 4-7-8 breathing exercise for being unwell — when the weather has kept you inside, Uneven box breath (4 · 4 · 6 · 2) for physical discomfort, when you are cold and want to be warm or How to use Uneven box breathing for Friday evening, before you go back to something hard.