4-7-8 breathing exercise for a hard week — when you feel restless rather than tired

How it works

Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 7. Then out for 8, slowly, without pushing. Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.

Why it can help

The ratio slows the whole breath cycle without requiring you to breathe deeply.

The pattern, in seconds

One round is 19 seconds. At the default 5 rounds this practice runs 95 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.

Good for

• in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
• when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
• when your hands are cold and your chest is tight

Tips

• Set a timer for the rounds you want, so you are not watching the clock.
• Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
• 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.