Breathing exercise · 3 · 5 · 7
How to use 3-5-7 breathing for the morning, when you have been on screens all day
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 through your nose for 3 counts, hold for 5. Then out for 7, slowly, without pushing. After a day of screens, the eyes and the shoulders need this first. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
The pause at the end of a long exhale is usually longer than you expect. That gap is part of the exercise.
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 5 rounds this practice runs 75 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
- while you are waiting for something to start
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Keep your jaw loose. People clench it without noticing during holds.
- 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 Double-inhale sigh: 10 rounds for exam nerves, when the house is busy, 6-2-6-2 breathing — 6 · 2 · 6 · 2 — for the morning, when you want to be left alone or Box breath (4 · 4 · 4 · 4) for travel days, when you cannot concentrate on anything else.