Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
How to use Uneven box breathing for a study session, when you want to be left alone
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 6 · 2, which is a square with one long side.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6, hold for 2. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. Nothing here asks anything of you socially. Let the physical world hold your attention.
Why it can help
It works because it is boring. Boring rhythms are the ones you can actually follow under pressure.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 6s | 8s |
| Hold again | 2s | 14s |
One round is 16 seconds. At the default 8 rounds this practice runs 128 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
- when you have read the same paragraph three times
Tips
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- Stop after a few rounds if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally for a minute.
- A hold should feel like a pause, not like running out of air.
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 Slow box breathing exercise for a hard week — when you are on your own, Soft 4-7-8 breathing exercise for the commute — when you want to finish something or Coherent 4-4 breathing: 12 rounds for days when everything is too much, when you are somewhere noisy.