Breathing exercise · 4 · 7 · 8
4-7-8 breathing exercise for a cold morning — when you need to stop thinking about work
A in for four, hold for seven, out for eight pattern, counted for you on screen.
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. Work thoughts are allowed to be there. They just do not get to drive. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
The hold, where there is one, is short. The work is in the length of the release, not the pause.
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
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
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.
- 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 3-5-7 breathing — 3 · 5 · 7 — for deep focus, when the house is busy, 6-2-6-2 breath (6 · 2 · 6 · 2) for Sunday evening, if you are new to this or 4-7-8 breathing for a noisy room, when you are not sure this will work.