Breathing exercise · 3 · 5 · 7
How to use 3-5-7 breathing for a noisy room, when you want to finish something
A a staircase down: three, five, seven pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 3, hold for 5, then let the breath go for 7 counts. Wanting to finish something is a better motivation than wanting to relax. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
The long exhale is the working part. A slow out-breath is one of the few direct levers you have on your own arousal level.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 3s | 0s |
| Hold | 5s | 3s |
| Exhale | 7s | 8s |
One round is 15 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 90 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- after an argument, before you decide what to say next
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
Tips
- Stop after a few rounds if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally for a minute.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- 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 6-2-6-2 breathing for a hard conversation, when you are not in the mood, 4-2-6 breathing — 4 · 2 · 6 — for a stolen moment of caregiving, on a low-energy afternoon or Soft 4-7-8 breathing exercise for a study session — when you are somewhere unfamiliar.