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Box Breathing (Square Breathing)

mindfulness · easy · 2-5 minutes per session; use as needed throughout the day

What is Box Breathing (Square Breathing)?

A four-phase breathing technique with equal duration: inhale, hold, exhale, hold — each for 4 seconds. Used by Navy SEALs and first responders to rapidly calm the nervous system under stress.

Is there evidence for it?

EVIDENCEmoderate

How do you do Box Breathing (Square Breathing)?

  1. 1.Sit upright in a comfortable position and exhale all air from your lungs
  2. 2.Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds, filling your lungs completely
  3. 3.Hold your breath for 4 seconds (don't clamp your airway — just pause)
  4. 4.Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds, emptying your lungs completely
  5. 5.Hold empty for 4 seconds, then repeat for 4-5 cycles (or until calm returns)

How long does it take?

2-5 minutes per session; use as needed throughout the day.

Is it hard to start?

easy.

PRACTICE ITBox breathing, guided — 10 minute guided meditationFree guided audio, no signup, nothing to install. From Neuro Atelier, our meditation studio.
Source: Used by U.S. Navy SEALs; popularized by Mark Divine. Frontiers in Psychology study: 20 sessions over 8 weeks showed improved sustained attention, better mood, and lower cortisol.
breathing · stress-relief · calm · nervous-system · quick-technique · anxiety
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This is one entry from the library Shift matches against. It is general information, not advice about you, and nothing on this page came from anyone's conversation.