Three Paced-Breathing Exercises, With Timings

Paced breathing is one of the self-help techniques the UK NHS lists in its guidance on stress. The idea is unglamorous: slow the breath down deliberately for a few minutes and see whether you feel steadier afterwards. Some people do; some do not notice anything at all. Below are the three patterns that show up most often, with the timings written out, because "just breathe slowly" is not an instruction anyone can follow.

Before you start

Sit or lie somewhere you are not about to be interrupted. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth or nose, whichever is comfortable. If you feel light-headed, stop and return to normal breathing — that is a sign the pattern is too long for you at the moment, not a sign to push through.

1. Extended exhale (the easiest place to start)

Breathe in for a count of four. Breathe out for a count of six. That is the whole exercise. Repeat for two to five minutes.

It works as a starting point because there is nothing to hold and nothing to remember. If a longer exhale feels forced, shorten it — in for three, out for four is a perfectly reasonable version.

2. Box breathing (four equal sides)

In for four. Hold for four. Out for four. Hold for four. Repeat for three to four minutes.

The equal counts make it easy to keep track of without a timer, which is why it turns up in a lot of workplace and sports guidance. The two holds are what makes it harder than the first exercise — drop to a count of three on all four sides if four feels long.

3. The 4-7-8 pattern

In through the nose for four. Hold for seven. Out through the mouth for eight. Four cycles is the usual suggestion — this one is not meant to be done for ten minutes.

An honest note on this one: it is widely repeated online, but the evidence base for the specific 4-7-8 timing is thin compared with slow breathing in general. Treat the numbers as a structure that makes the exhale long, not as a formula with special properties.

When to fit it in

• Before something you are dreading — a call, a meeting, a difficult conversation
• In the gap between finishing work and starting the evening
• Lying in bed, if your mind will not settle

Consistency matters more than length. Two minutes on most days does more than twenty minutes once a fortnight, mainly because the two-minute version is the one that actually happens.

What this is not

Breathing exercises are a general self-help habit. They are not a treatment for anxiety, panic disorder, depression, asthma or any other condition, and they are not a reason to change or stop any treatment you have been prescribed. If breathing exercises make you feel worse, or if breathlessness is the actual problem, that is a matter for a doctor rather than an article.

This article is general information about everyday habits. It is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it is not a substitute for talking to a qualified professional about a health concern.