Four equal counts: inhale, hold, exhale, hold. Used by athletes and military for calm under pressure.
00:00
Current session
Simple breathing exercises are one of the fastest ways to support mindfulness, ease tension, and find a steadier baseline for stress relief. Whether you need focus during the day or a wind-down before sleep, guided patterns like box breathing and the 4-7-8 technique help you shift toward calm without special equipment—just your breath and a few quiet minutes.
Also called square breathing, this pattern uses four equal steps—inhale, hold, exhale, hold—often for four seconds each. It is widely used for anxiety relief, focus under pressure, and steadying the nervous system when your mind feels rushed.
This rhythm lengthens the exhale (inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8), which many people use for relaxation before sleep and unwinding after stress. It is a popular guided breathing choice when you want a slower exhale to cue the body toward rest.
Diaphragmatic breathing trains the breath to move the belly—not just the chest—supporting lung comfort and a calmer response to daily stress. It pairs well with posture breaks and complements other breathing exercises for stress you may already use.
Regular practice of these techniques can support emotional balance, clearer attention, and a gentler relationship with tension over time.