Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 4 · 4
How to use Box breathing for jet lag, when you have already had a long week
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 4 · 4, which is four equal sides, like tracing a square.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. Long weeks are cumulative. This is a small subtraction. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
Because nothing changes from round to round, the exercise stops being interesting — and that is exactly what you want at a difficult moment.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 4s | 8s |
| Hold again | 4s | 12s |
One round is 16 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 192 seconds — about 3 minutes — 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
- when the afternoon has gone flat
Tips
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
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.