Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 4 · 4
Box breathing for a study session, when you need something unremarkable
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. Nothing dramatic happens here, and that is deliberate. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
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
| 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 6 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
- after a long drive, to shake off the alertness
- when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
Tips
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- Notice which part of the breath feels tight, and reduce that count first.
- 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.