Breathing exercise · 3 · 3 · 3 · 3
Gentle box breathing exercise for jet lag — when the weather has kept you inside
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
In for 3, hold 3, out for 3, hold 3. The shape stays the same every round. Bad weather is a decent excuse to stay in and do this. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
The rhythm is deliberately unremarkable. Unremarkable is easier to keep up when your hands are shaking.
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 6 rounds this practice runs 72 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before a presentation, in the corridor
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
Tips
- The counts are a guide. If a number feels too long, shorten every side by one.
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- Holding your breath is optional in every exercise here. You can always breathe through instead.
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 Uneven box breathing — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — for the hours after people leave, when you only have a few minutes, 4-2-6 breathing — 4 · 2 · 6 — for the middle of the night, if you have done this a hundred times or Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing: 4 rounds for the middle of the night, when you need something unremarkable.