Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing: 10 rounds for the hours after people leave, when you are doing this for the first time
5 · 5 · 5 · 5 breathing: a wider square, once four feels comfortable.
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. If this is your first go, stay with the plainest version of the instructions. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
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 | 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
- when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
Tips
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- Try the same pattern at a different time of day and see whether it feels different.
- 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.