Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 4 · 4
How to use Box breathing for Monday morning, if you are doing this instead of scrolling
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
The pattern is a square — 4, 4, 4, 4 — and you trace it with your breath. Choosing this over scrolling counts as a good decision, even a small one. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
Why it can help
The equal sides keep your breathing from drifting into the shallow, fast pattern that stress tends to produce.
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 6 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
Tips
- The counts are a guide. If a number feels too long, shorten every side by one.
- If you lose count, start the round again rather than guessing.
- 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 Double-inhale sigh for a break at work, 5-7 breathing for a lonely evening or How to use Box breathing for a reset.