Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 8
Soft 4-7-8 breathing exercise for bedtime — when you need to stop thinking about work
A 4 · 4 · 8 rhythm — the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 4. Then out for 8, slowly, without pushing. Work thoughts are allowed to be there. They just do not get to drive. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
Long exhales give the diaphragm a slow, full range of movement, which is why the shoulders often drop on their own.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 8s | 8s |
One round is 16 seconds. At the default 4 rounds this practice runs 64 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when you are tired but cannot afford to be
- on a train or a bus, with your bag on your lap
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
Tips
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- 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 7-11 breathing for deep focus, when you have been meaning to start, Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing exercise for a study session — after a difficult conversation or Beginner box breathing: 10 rounds for a study session, when you are too tired to try hard.