Box breath for the hours after people leave

How it works

The pattern is a square — 4, 4, 4, 4 — and you trace it with your breath. This assumes you have already tried the obvious things. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.

Why it can help

Because nothing changes from round to round, the exercise stops being interesting — and that is exactly what you want at a difficult moment.

The pattern, in seconds

One round is 16 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 128 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.

Good for

• before a presentation, in the corridor
• at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
• when you have five minutes and no idea where to start

Tips

• The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
• It is fine to breathe through your mouth if your nose is blocked. Nose is usually easier.
• Holding your breath is optional in every exercise here. You can always breathe through instead.

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.