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Which breath, and when

A short decision guide to the four patterns worth knowing

Which breath, and when: A short decision guide to the four patterns worth knowing

There are four breathing patterns worth keeping in your pocket. They are not interchangeable, and the reason most people give up on breathing exercises is that they were handed the wrong one for the moment they were in.

Here is what each is for, so you can pick without thinking about it.

If you need to focus

Use box breathing: in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. The even count and the small holds keep you occupied without slowing you down, which is why it suits the minutes before something demanding.

Read the full guide to box breathing if you want the detail.

If you want to sleep

Use 4-7-8: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight. The long hold and the longer exhale pull the pace down hard, which is the point when you are trying to get to sleep rather than concentrate.

If the seven-count hold feels like a lot, the 4-2-6 breath is the gentler version of the same idea and is easier to keep up when you are already tired.

If you are panicking or spiralling

Use the physiological sigh: two inhales through the nose, then a long exhale through the mouth. It is the only one of the four that asks for no counting at all, and a racing mind is a bad time to be doing arithmetic.

If you can hold a count, the 4-2-6 works here too. If you cannot, do not force it. That is what the sigh is for.

If you are angry or frustrated

Use a long exhale with no hold at all: in through the nose, then out slowly for as long as is comfortable, and repeat. Holds can feel like bracing when you are already braced, and this pattern does not ask you to hold anything.

Choosing in ten seconds

If you only remember one line, make it this one.

Whichever you pick, Peakora's breathing ring paces it for you so you follow a shape rather than a number. It is free.

Try the breathing ring free All guides