Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breath (5 · 5 · 5 · 5) for a grey day, when you only have a few minutes
Simple counts — 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 5, hold for 5, out for 5, hold for 5. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. A few minutes is the whole requirement. We'll stay close to sensations rather than ideas.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 200 seconds — about 3 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- after an argument, before you decide what to say next
Tips
- Set a timer for the rounds you want, so you are not watching the clock.
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- 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 4-6 breath (4 · 6) for deep focus, when you are cold and want to be warm, Box breathing — 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 — for a stolen moment of caregiving, when you feel fine and want to stay that way or 4-7-8 breathing exercise for travel days — when your attention is scattered.