Breathing exercise · 4 · 1 · 4 · 1
Tight box breathing exercise for exam nerves — when you are not in the mood
The pattern is 4 · 1 · 4 · 1, which is barely any hold, for people who dislike holding.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
In for 4, hold 1, out for 4, hold 1. The shape stays the same every round. Not being in the mood is a normal starting point. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
The pauses are short enough that they rarely trigger the urge to gasp, which is what makes it usable in public.
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 10 rounds this practice runs 100 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- just before you have to say something difficult
- when the afternoon has gone flat
- before you walk into a room full of people
Tips
- If you wear a watch that tracks breathing, ignore it while you do this.
- Count in your head, or let the circle on this page count for you.
- Holding your breath is optional in every exercise here. You can always breathe through instead.
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 4-2-6 breathing — 4 · 2 · 6 — for heated moments, when you cannot concentrate on anything else, 5-2-7 breathing exercise for a grey day — if you have done this a hundred times or Coherent 5-5 breathing — 5 · 5 — for a hard conversation, when you have just finished work.