Breathing exercise · 3 · 5 · 7
How to use 3-5-7 breathing for a study session, when you feel restless rather than tired
3 · 5 · 7 breathing: a staircase down: three, five, seven.
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. Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
The ratio slows the whole breath cycle without requiring you to breathe deeply.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 150 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
- just before you have to say something difficult
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- If you have a cold or a blocked nose, skip the holds and breathe through your mouth.
- 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 4-2-6 breathing — 4 · 2 · 6 — for a stolen moment of caregiving, on a low-energy afternoon, Coherent 4-4 breath (4 · 4) for coming down after exercise, when you are waiting for something or 2-1-4 breathing — 2 · 1 · 4 — for the middle of the night, after eating too much.