Breathing exercise · 4 · 7 · 8
How to use 4-7-8 breathing for the morning after, when nothing else has worked today
A 4 · 7 · 8 rhythm — in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. The exhale is longer than the inhale — that is the entire instruction. Nothing else has worked today. That is not a reason to skip this. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
This ratio is used a lot before sleep, because a long exhale is what your breathing already does as you fall asleep.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 7s | 4s |
| Exhale | 8s | 11s |
One round is 19 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 152 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- just before you have to say something difficult
Tips
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- 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: 8 rounds for a long wait, when you need to stop thinking about work, 5-7 breathing: 8 rounds for a lonely evening, when you want to finish something or 4-2-6 breath (4 · 2 · 6) for a grey day, when you have been putting it off.