Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breathing — 4 · 4 · 6 · 2 — for Monday morning, when you feel restless rather than tired
Rounds of 4 · 4 · 6 · 2, with the counting done for you.
Follow the circle. It counts for you.
How it works
The pattern is a square — 4, 4, 6, 2 — and you trace it with your breath. Restless is different from tired, and it needs a different approach. The body is the most reliable place to begin.
Why it can help
The holds are brief. Long enough to notice, short enough to be unremarkable.
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 4 rounds this practice runs 64 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- in a hospital corridor, waiting for news
- when someone has annoyed you and you need to not react
- while you are waiting for something to start
Tips
- Do not chase the feeling. If nothing happens, nothing happened.
- The pauses should never feel like a competition. Shorten them if they do.
- 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 4-8 breathing exercise for a long illness — after eating too much, Gentle box breathing — 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 — for a noisy room, when you have tried everything else or Tight box breathing — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — for the middle of the night, when you are not sure this will work.