Breathing exercise · 3 · 6
How to use 3-6 breathing for physical discomfort, when you have woken up too early
Simple counts — 3 · 6 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 3 counts to breathe in, and 6 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. Waking too early is a specific kind of frustrating. This helps with the frustration. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
The ratio matters more than the depth. Shallow but long beats deep and rushed.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 3s | 0s |
| Exhale | 6s | 3s |
One round is 9 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 54 seconds — about a minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
Tips
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Nothing is held here, so there is no moment where you are waiting for permission to breathe.
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 3-5-7 breathing: 12 rounds for bedtime, when you have been putting it off, Physiological sigh for a hard week, when your attention is scattered or 4-6 breath (4 · 6) for a hospital waiting room, when you have just finished work.