Breathing exercise · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5
Slow box breathing for the early months, when you are on your own
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. Being on your own is not required, but it does make this simpler. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
The equal sides keep your breathing from drifting into the shallow, fast pattern that stress tends to produce.
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
- before you open the email you have been avoiding
- after a long drive, to shake off the alertness
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
Tips
- If you lose count, start the round again rather than guessing.
- Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
- 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 How to use Box breathing for days when everything is too much, when you are doing this for the first time, Physiological sigh: 5 rounds for jet lag, when you are not in the mood or Box breathing: 6 rounds for Monday morning, when you have been putting it off.