Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 4 · 4
Box breathing: 4 rounds for a ten-minute window, if you are sceptical about all of this
A four equal sides, like tracing a square pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Count to 4 on the way in, 4 at the top, 4 on the way out, 4 at the bottom. Repeat. Scepticism is welcome. You do not have to believe anything for this to work. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
It is a small, closed loop. Small closed loops are comforting when everything else is open-ended.
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 4 rounds this practice runs 64 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you wake at 3am and the room feels too quiet
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
Tips
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing — 2 · 1 · 2 · 1 — for a reset, when you are too tired to try hard, 3-6 breathing — 3 · 6 — for the morning after, when you are doing this for the first time or 5-7 breath (5 · 7) for a stolen moment of caregiving, when you are at home and cannot settle.