Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing for a long illness, when you have been putting it off
Simple counts — 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 — and a circle that keeps time.
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. You have been putting this off. Starting is the only step that matters. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
The rhythm is deliberately unremarkable. Unremarkable is easier to keep up when your hands are shaking.
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 8 rounds this practice runs 160 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when your thoughts are moving faster than you are
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
Tips
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- 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 4-8 breathing: 12 rounds, How to use Slow box breathing for caring or How to use 5-2-7 breathing for the end of the working day, if you are doing this in the middle of the day.