Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing exercise for jet lag — if you are doing this in the middle of the day
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. Midday is an underrated time for this. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
The square gives you a way to notice when you have drifted: you lose count, and that tells you where your attention went.
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 4 rounds this practice runs 80 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
Tips
- Rest for a few seconds between rounds if the pattern feels demanding.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- 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.