Box Breathing aka 4-4-4-4

I have to admit, mindfulness is not really my thing. As far as I’m concerned, the faster, the wilder, the crazier – the better.

Which is why I love focus & concentration games, as they pack all of this with specific restraints which then make your brain go Whomp, there it is (yeah, I’m that old!).

However, one thing I’ve noticed is that whenever I do focus & concentration games 1:1, my clients always ask for techniques on how to de-stress and unwind.

That’s why I decided to share some of my favorite techniques for calming your mind – some of you might also find them useful.

Let’s start with my favorite technique.

Box Breathing

Box breathing, also known as 4-4-4-4 breathing, 4×4 breathing, or square breathing, is a simple yet powerful breathing technique that balances your mind and body through rhythmic breathing.

The technique itself is very simple:

• Inhale through your nose for four seconds
• Hold your breath for four seconds
• Exhale through your mouth for four seconds
• Hold your breath for four seconds

and then repeat.

It calms your nervous system, improves mood, reduces stress and anxiety, as well as physiological arousal like respiratory rate and heart rate, thus improving focus and emotional stability.

If you’re into scientific details, check out this research here.

Box breathing is popular among athletes, performers, and military personnel like Navy SEALs, who use it to stay calm under pressure.

You can practice it before stressful situations, when you’re feeling stuck, or anytime you need to reset your mind. Personally, I often use it before falling asleep because my mind is constantly racing with new ideas, and it’s an excellent tool to quiet it.

According to the research above, just five minutes a day are enough to yield results.

If counting is a source of stress for you, as it is for me, here’s a simple animated representation of the technique.

Breathe with me!

Hope you’ve found this useful.

What’s your favorite breathing technique?