Breathing exercise · 4 · 1 · 4 · 1
Tight box breathing — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — for a grey day, when you need to stop thinking about work
Rounds of 4 · 1 · 4 · 1, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Four equal sides: 4 in, 1 held, 4 out, 1 held. Nothing else to remember. Work thoughts are allowed to be there. They just do not get to drive. Notice what's solid: the floor, the chair, your own weight.
Why it can help
The square gives you a way to notice when you have drifted: you lose count, and that tells you where your attention went.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 1s | 4s |
| Exhale | 4s | 5s |
| Hold again | 1s | 9s |
One round is 10 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 120 seconds — about 2 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- as a way to mark the end of the working day
- before a presentation, in the corridor
- when your thoughts are moving faster than you are
Tips
- Practising when you are calm makes it available when you are not.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- 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 Coherent 4-4 breathing exercise for jet lag — when you have been putting it off, Physiological sigh for a hard week, when your attention is scattered or 4-7-8 breathing for days when everything is too much, if you have done this a hundred times.