Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 4 · 4
Box breath (4 · 4 · 4 · 4) for the morning after, before something difficult
4 · 4 · 4 · 4 breathing: four equal sides, like tracing a square.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Four equal sides: 4 in, 4 held, 4 out, 4 held. Nothing else to remember. It works best in the hour before something difficult. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
Four sides means four small completions. Each one is a tiny piece of evidence that you can finish something.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 4s | 8s |
| Hold again | 4s | 12s |
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
- after a long drive, to shake off the alertness
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
Tips
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- Set a timer for the rounds you want, so you are not watching the clock.
- If holding for the full count feels tight, drop every number by one. The shape matters more than the size.
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.