Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breath (4 · 4 · 6 · 2) for a noisy room, when you are too tired to try hard
A a square with one long side pattern, counted for you on screen.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6, hold for 2. Picture tracing the sides of a square. That is the whole exercise. Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
It is a small, closed loop. Small closed loops are comforting when everything else is open-ended.
The pattern, in seconds
| Phase | Length | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Inhale | 4s | 0s |
| Hold | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 6s | 8s |
| Hold again | 2s | 14s |
One round is 16 seconds. At the default 12 rounds this practice runs 192 seconds — about 3 minutes — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
- before a presentation, in the corridor
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
Tips
- Two minutes done properly beats ten minutes done while checking your phone.
- Do the last round slightly smaller than the others. It makes stopping easier.
- 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 Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing for a hospital waiting room, when the day has been loud, Beginner box breathing: 4 rounds for a break at work, when you cannot concentrate on anything else or Tight box breathing: 8 rounds for a ten-minute window, before you go back to something hard.