Breathing exercise · 4 · 4 · 6 · 2
Uneven box breathing: 6 rounds for deep focus, if you are tired of apps
Rounds of 4 · 4 · 6 · 2, with the counting done for you.
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. No account, no streak, no notification asking how you feel. Simple things first: contact, weight, temperature.
Why it can help
Four sides means four small completions. Each one is a tiny piece of evidence that you can finish something.
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 6 rounds this practice runs 96 seconds — about 1 minute — plus a breath or two of ordinary breathing between rounds.
Good for
- before you walk into a room full of people
- when you notice your shoulders are up near your ears
- at the start of a study session, to set the tone
Tips
- Keep your feet flat on the floor. It helps more than it sounds like it should.
- Rest for a few seconds between rounds if the pattern feels demanding.
- 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 4-2-6 breathing exercise for a hard conversation — when you need to stop thinking about work, Beginner box breathing: 12 rounds for being unwell, when you have been meaning to start or Physiological sigh (2 · 6) for the morning, when you feel fine and want to stay that way.