Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 8
Soft 4-7-8 breathing for a hot day, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
A 4 · 4 · 8 rhythm — the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Take 4 counts to breathe in, hold for 4, and 8 to breathe out. Keep the out-breath unhurried. Midday is an underrated time for this. Stay with what you can actually feel.
Why it can help
The extra seconds on the way out give your body a longer signal that nothing is chasing you.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 160 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before a presentation, in the corridor
- in the car, parked, before you go inside
- when the weather has been grey for a week
Tips
- Do it before you need it once, so that it is familiar when you do.
- If your mind wanders to counting the rounds left, that is normal. Come back to the numbers.
- Never push through a hold. Coming out of it early is always the right call.
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 Box breathing — 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 — for the middle of the night, when you have woken up too early, How to use Double-inhale sigh for a hot day, when the day has been loud or 4-2-6 breathing: 6 rounds for exam nerves, if you are doing this instead of scrolling.