Breathing exercise · 4 · 4
Coherent 4-4 breathing for bedtime, when you are too tired to try hard
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
Breathe in for 4 seconds, out for 4 seconds. Same speed both ways, no pauses. Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
Equal breathing tends to be easier on people who find holds uncomfortable or anxiety-provoking.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 4s | 4s |
One round is 8 seconds. At the default 4 rounds this practice runs 32 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
Tips
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Nothing is held here, so there is no moment where you are waiting for permission to breathe.
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 Soft 4-7-8 breathing exercise for travel days, How to use 5-7 breathing for a hard week or 4-7-8 breathing exercise for the morning after.