Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing for a study session, when you need to stop thinking about work
Simple counts — 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Count to 5 on the way in, 5 at the top, 5 on the way out, 5 at the bottom. Repeat. Work thoughts are allowed to be there. They just do not get to drive. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
Why it can help
A square is easy to picture, so your mind has something to hold onto that is not the thing worrying you.
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
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
- just before you have to say something difficult
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- 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 — 4 · 6 — for a stolen moment of caregiving, when you are not sure this will work, Quick 2-1-2-1 breath (2 · 1 · 2 · 1) for heavy days, when you have been meaning to start or Uneven box breathing: 8 rounds for anxious moments, on a day that started badly.