Breathing exercise · 4 · 8
How to use 4-8 breathing for a long illness, when you are too tired to try hard
A in for four, out for eight pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts. Then out for 8, slowly, without pushing. Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
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 | 4s | 0s |
| Exhale | 8s | 4s |
One round is 12 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when the weather has been grey for a week
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
Tips
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- A shorter pattern done consistently beats a longer one done once.
- 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 How to use 5-2-7 breathing for a stolen moment of caregiving, when you only have a few minutes, 3-6 breathing exercise for exam nerves — when you cannot concentrate on anything else or 6-2-6-2 breathing — 6 · 2 · 6 · 2 — for physical discomfort, when you have been putting it off.