Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing for a night shift
A a wider square, once four feels comfortable pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 5, hold for 5, out for 5, hold for 5. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. Do this sitting up, not lying down, if you have just eaten. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
It is a small, closed loop. Small closed loops are comforting when everything else is open-ended.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 200 seconds — about 3 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- while you are waiting for something to start
- when the day has been fine but you still feel braced
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
Tips
- If you lose count, start the round again rather than guessing.
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- 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 4-6 breathing, 3-5-7 breathing — 3 · 5 · 7 — for a hard week, when you need to stop thinking about work or How to use Double-inhale sigh for a reset.