Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
How to use Slow box breathing for the end of the working day, if you have done this a hundred times
A a wider square, once four feels comfortable pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Four equal sides: 5 in, 5 held, 5 out, 5 held. Nothing else to remember. If you have done this a hundred times, change one small thing tonight. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
Four sides means four small completions. Each one is a tiny piece of evidence that you can finish something.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 5s | 0s |
| Hold | 5s | 5s |
| Exhale | 5s | 10s |
| Hold again | 5s | 15s |
One round is 20 seconds. At the default 6 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
- at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea going cold
- while you are waiting for something to start
Tips
- Do the last round slightly smaller than the others. It makes stopping easier.
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try Beginner box breath (2 · 2 · 2 · 2) for a lonely evening, when you want to be left alone, Physiological sigh exercise for a long illness — when you want to finish something or Box breathing — 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 — for Sunday evening, when you are not in the mood.