Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breathing — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — for a hard week, when you have already had a long week
Simple counts — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — and a circle that keeps time.
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. Long weeks are cumulative. This is a small subtraction. Start with what's physical. Everything else can wait.
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 | 4s | 4s |
| Exhale | 6s | 8s |
| Hold again | 2s | 14s |
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
- in the minutes before an appointment you are dreading
- in the two minutes after a difficult phone call
- at your desk, with the screen turned off for a moment
Tips
- Try it lying down with your knees bent if sitting upright feels like effort.
- A shorter pattern done consistently beats a longer one done once.
- 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.