Breathing exercise · 3 · 3 · 3 · 3
Gentle box breathing exercise for a reset — if you are doing this in the middle of the day
A a smaller square, for when four counts feels long pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 3, hold for 3, out for 3, hold for 3. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. Midday is an underrated time for this. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
Because nothing changes from round to round, the exercise stops being interesting — and that is exactly what you want at a difficult moment.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- after an argument, before you decide what to say next
Tips
- Stop after a few rounds if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally for a minute.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- A hold should feel like a pause, not like running out of air.
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 — 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 — for Friday evening, after eating too much, 4-8 breathing for a lonely evening, when you have been putting it off or 4-2-6 breathing: 5 rounds for the commute, if you have five quiet minutes.