Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing — 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 — for a hospital waiting room, before something difficult
5 · 5 · 5 · 5 breathing: a wider square, once four feels comfortable.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 5, hold 5, out for 5, hold 5. The shape stays the same every round. It works best in the hour before something difficult. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
This is a composure exercise more than a calming one. It gives you something to do while a feeling passes.
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 6 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- before you walk into a room full of people
- when your hands are cold and your chest is tight
Tips
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- It is fine to breathe through your mouth if your nose is blocked. Nose is usually easier.
- 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 7-11 breathing for days when everything is too much, on a day that started badly, 4-7-8 breathing for Monday morning, when you cannot concentrate on anything else or 4-8 breathing — 4 · 8 — for heavy days, when you cannot concentrate on anything else.