You may have heard of “box breathing” before—a technique wherein you close your eyes and inhale, hold, exhale, and hold again—each for four counts. Box breathing is a quick and efficient way to reset your nervous system and help you focus on the task at hand. Use it any time of day, or especially when you’re feeling anxious or need to switch gears. It’s so effective at helping to regulate our mood, attention, and physiological response to stress that it’s been adopted by Navy SEALs, professional athletes, and police officers as a standard procedure.
How to perform box breathing
Box breathing is simple and enjoyable, and it’s fairly easy to incorporate this practice into your daily life. I tend to do this meditation when I sit down at my computer to begin my work. I recommend doing just one minute of box breathing when you’re first starting out. All you need to do is:
- Inhale calmly for a count of four.
- Hold the breath in for a count of four.
- Exhale for a count of four.
- Hold the breath out for a count of four.
That’s it! Simply repeat steps one through four as many times as you’d like. The trick is not to strain or force yourself into any of the breath holds. Stay relaxed and enjoy the feeling of aliveness in your body as you nourish it with breath.
