Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 8
How to use Soft 4-7-8 breathing for a break at work, when you have more time than usual
Rounds of 4 · 4 · 8, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 4. Then out for 8, slowly, without pushing. This is the longer version, for a day with some slack in it. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
It is hard to stay braced against something while breathing out slowly. The two do not sit well together.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 8s | 8s |
One round is 16 seconds. At the default 10 rounds this practice runs 160 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when the afternoon has gone flat
Tips
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- 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 Tight box breathing for bedtime, when you have just finished work, 5-2-7 breathing — 5 · 2 · 7 — for Friday evening, when the house is busy or 3-5-7 breath (3 · 5 · 7) for a hard week, when you have been meaning to start.