Breathing exercise · 4 · 7 · 8
4-7-8 breathing exercise for jet lag — when you want to finish something
4 · 7 · 8 breathing: 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. Wanting to finish something is a better motivation than wanting to relax. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
If you are feeling revved up, this is one of the fastest honest ways to take the edge off without pretending.
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
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
Tips
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- 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 Tight box breathing — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — for a stolen moment of caregiving, when you are somewhere unfamiliar, Soft 4-7-8 breathing: 6 rounds for the middle of the night, when you are not in the mood or 3-5-7 breathing exercise for being unwell — when you only have a few minutes.