Breathing exercise · 5 · 7
5-7 breathing: 4 rounds for the hours after people leave, when your attention is scattered
The pattern is 5 · 7, which is five in, seven out.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 5, out for 7. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Scattered attention is the raw material, not an obstacle. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
You are not emptying your lungs, just taking longer to do it. The extra seconds are where the effect lives.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Exhale | 7s | 5s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 4 rounds this practice runs 48 seconds — about a minute — 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 day has been fine but you still feel braced
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
Tips
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- Do it before you need it once, so that it is familiar when you do.
- Nothing is held here, so there is no moment where you are waiting for permission to breathe.
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.