Uneven box breathing for a long wait, when you need something unremarkable

How it works

The pattern is a square — 4, 4, 6, 2 — and you trace it with your breath. Nothing dramatic happens here, and that is deliberate. Let the physical world hold your attention.

Why it can help

Because nothing changes from round to round, the exercise stops being interesting — and that is exactly what you want at a difficult moment.

The pattern, in seconds

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 a hospital corridor, waiting for news
• at the start of a study session, to set the tone
• when the weather has been grey for a week

Tips

• Try it once with a hand on your ribs so you can feel whether they are moving.
• Do it with your shoulders still. The movement should be in your ribs and belly.
• 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.