Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
Coherent 4-4 breathing — 4 · 4 — for bedtime, when you feel restless rather than tired
A four and four, if five feels like a stretch pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Match the length of the out-breath to the in-breath — about 4 seconds each way. Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
It gives your body a rhythm to settle into, without asking it to do anything clever.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 4s | 4s |
One round is 8 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 64 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- while you are waiting for something to start
- when your thoughts are moving faster than you are
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- Because there is no pause, you can keep this going while walking or talking.
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 4-7-8 breathing for Monday morning, when you cannot concentrate on anything else, Coherent 5-5 breathing for the end of the working day, when you cannot concentrate on anything else or How to use Soft 4-7-8 breathing for being unwell, after a difficult conversation.