Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing — 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 — for exam nerves, if you are tired of apps
A 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 rhythm — a wider square, once four feels comfortable.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The pattern is a square — 5, 5, 5, 5 — and you trace it with your breath. No account, no streak, no notification asking how you feel. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
The holds are brief. Long enough to notice, short enough to be unremarkable.
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 5 rounds this practice runs 100 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- after a long drive, to shake off the alertness
- when you have been given bad news and need to keep functioning
- when you cannot sleep and do not want to get up
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Stop after a few rounds if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally for a minute.
- If holding for the full count feels tight, drop every number by one. The shape matters more than the size.
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.