Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing: 12 rounds for a ten-minute window, when you have more time than usual
A a wider square, once four feels comfortable pattern, counted for you on screen.
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. This is the longer version, for a day with some slack in it. Let the physical world hold your attention.
Why it can help
The pattern occupies the part of your mind that would otherwise be rehearsing the worst case.
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 12 rounds this practice runs 240 seconds — about 4 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- when you are the only person awake in the house
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Keep the effort mild. If you can hear yourself breathing hard, slow it down.
- 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 5-7 breathing: 4 rounds for the hours after people leave, when your attention is scattered, 3-5-7 breathing — 3 · 5 · 7 — for a grey day, when you want to finish something or 6-2-6-2 breathing exercise for heated moments — when nothing else has worked today.