Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 4 · 4
Box breathing: 5 rounds for being unwell, when you only have a few minutes
Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The pattern is a square — 4, 4, 4, 4 — and you trace it with your breath. A few minutes is the whole requirement. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
The pauses are short enough that they rarely trigger the urge to gasp, which is what makes it usable in public.
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 5 rounds this practice runs 80 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when your thoughts are moving faster than you are
- when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
Tips
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try How to use Coherent 5-5 breathing for a break at work, when nothing else has worked today, 4-7-8 breathing for a hard conversation, when you have been putting it off or 5-2-7 breath (5 · 2 · 7) for the early months, when you are too tired to try hard.