4-7-8 breathing: 4 rounds for days when everything is too much, when you are not in the mood

How it works

In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Not being in the mood is a normal starting point. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.

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

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

• before you open the email you have been avoiding
• before a presentation, in the corridor
• when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning

Tips

• Keep your jaw loose. People clench it without noticing during holds.
• If you lose count, start the round again rather than guessing.
• 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.