Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing for Friday evening, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
A a wider square, once four feels comfortable pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Four equal sides: 5 in, 5 held, 5 out, 5 held. Nothing else to remember. Midday is an underrated time for this. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
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 8 rounds this practice runs 160 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
Tips
- Stop after a few rounds if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally for a minute.
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- 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.
If this rhythm does not suit you, try 3-6 breathing for a hospital waiting room, before you go back to something hard, Uneven box breathing: 10 rounds for the morning after, after eating too much or How to use Tight box breathing for a hard week, when you are cold and want to be warm.