Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 4 · 4
Box breathing for coming down after exercise, before you go back to something hard
A 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 rhythm — four equal sides, like tracing a square.
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. Five minutes here is cheaper than an hour of grinding. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
Because the counts are the same in and out, your body does not have to decide anything. It just follows.
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
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
- when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears
- when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
Tips
- Aim for something you could keep up in a waiting room without anyone noticing.
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
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 Gentle box breathing for a long wait, when you are somewhere noisy, 4-7-8 breathing exercise for heated moments — when you only have a few minutes or Slow box breathing exercise for a hot day — if you have five quiet minutes.