Breathing exercise · 4 · 1 · 4 · 1
Tight box breathing — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — for travel days, when the day has been loud
Simple counts — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — and a circle that keeps time.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Count to 4 on the way in, 1 at the top, 4 on the way out, 1 at the bottom. Repeat. For days that were loud from the moment they started. Nothing abstract for the next few minutes.
Why it can help
The rhythm is deliberately unremarkable. Unremarkable is easier to keep up when your hands are shaking.
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 4 rounds this practice runs 40 seconds — about a minute — 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 afternoon has gone flat
Tips
- Sit upright. Your lungs work better when you are not folded in half.
- If you have a cold or a blocked nose, skip the holds and breathe through your mouth.
- 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 jet lag, when you have already had a long week, 3-5-7 breathing exercise for Friday evening — when you have already had a long week or Uneven box breathing — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — for a long wait, when you are waiting for something.