Breathing exercise · 3 · 3 · 3 · 3
Gentle box breathing: 4 rounds for the hours after people leave, when the house is busy
A 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 rhythm — a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The pattern is a square — 3, 3, 3, 3 — and you trace it with your breath. It works with other people in the house. You do not need silence. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
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 | 3s | 0s |
| Hold | 3s | 3s |
| Exhale | 3s | 6s |
| Hold again | 3s | 9s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 4 rounds this practice runs 48 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
- when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
Tips
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- 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 4-7-8 breathing exercise for deep focus — when you have been on screens all day, Double-inhale sigh exercise for Monday morning — when nothing else has worked today or 7-11 breath (7 · 11) for a noisy room, if you are tired of apps.