Box breathing — It’s the middle of the week, and I know you’re feeling overwhelmed. I’m right there with you. Is it just me, or does it seem like there are never enough hours in the day to get through all that needs to get done? My work tasks, my home tasks, my self-care time – I want to get to it all every single day, and I want to do it all well. But it doesn’t seem to work that way. If I focus on one, I barely have enough energy to get to the other. Most weekdays can have you feeling stressed out, but there’s something extra special about Wednesdays. It’s like the stress hits an all-time high, and it’s harder to just keep pushing through the way you were. You’re in desperate need of some sort of recharge to get you through the rest of the week. I mean, it wasn’t named #wellnesswednesday for nothing!

So, today, let’s Wellness Wednesday together! : ) This week, I’m featuring a breathing technique called box breathing (or square breathing). I’ve been finding it really calming and helpful, and I thought you could really use a breather (see what I did there! : )) as well. Keep reading to learn how to box breathe, which will help you reduce your stress and crush your second half of the week!

Read More: A 5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere

How To Do Box Breathing:

• Sitting in a comfortable, upright position, start by slowly breathing out through your mouth all the air in your lungs
• Then slowly inhale all the air in through your nose, counting to 4 slowly in your mind
• Hold your breath for another slow count to 4
• Then exhale all the air out through your mouth, slowly counting to 4
• Hold your breath for another slow count to 4
• Repeat the process

During one sitting, you can repeat the process four times. If you begin to feel dizzy after a few rounds, stop and begin breathing normally. According to healthline.com, feeling dizzy is normal for beginners and will get better as you practice more. When I first started this technique, I did find myself getting a bit dizzy on about my third go, but I’ve noticed a decrease in dizziness now that I’ve been doing it more often. You can do this exercise throughout your day anytime you’re feeling overwhelmed and needing to calm your nerves, decrease your stress, and improve your mood.

Learn more about box breathing here:

• Box Breathing – healthline.com
• Square Breathing: How To Reduce Stress Through Breathwork – zencare.co

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Have you tried box breathing before? What’s a breathing exercise that really helps you? When you’re feeling overwhelmed, what’s something that helps you de-stress? How do you practice mid-week self-care? I’d love to hear it all – leave me a comment below!