Breathing exercise · 5 · 5
Coherent 5-5 breathing for heavy days, when you need to stop thinking about work
Rounds of 5 · 5, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 5, out for 5, with nothing held in between. Repeat for as long as you have. Work thoughts are allowed to be there. They just do not get to drive. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
Five or six seconds in and the same out lands you near six breaths a minute, which is roughly where the cardiovascular system is happiest.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Exhale | 5s | 5s |
One round is 10 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 60 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- Keep your jaw loose. People clench it without noticing during holds.
- Set a timer for the rounds you want, so you are not watching the clock.
- There are no holds in this one, which makes it a good choice if breath-holding makes you anxious.
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 Slow box breathing — 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 — for a night shift, on a low-energy afternoon, 4-8 breathing exercise for jet lag — when you only have a few minutes or 7-11 breathing for a cold morning, when you feel restless rather than tired.