Slow box breathing: 5 rounds

How it works

Count to 5 on the way in, 5 at the top, 5 on the way out, 5 at the bottom. Repeat. Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach. Stay with what you can actually feel.

Why it can help

Nothing here depends on you relaxing. You can be tense the whole way through and the pattern still works.

The pattern, in seconds

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

• just before you have to say something difficult
• when you have five minutes and no idea where to start
• when your thoughts are moving faster than you are

Tips

• If you lose count, start the round again rather than guessing.
• Do it before you need it once, so that it is familiar when you do.
• 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.