A Box (Square) Breathing Exercise To De-Stress
Box breathing β It’s the middle of the week, and I know you’re feeling overwhelmed. I’m right there with you. Most weekdays can have you feeling stressed out, but there’s something extra special about Wednesdays. 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!
How To Box Breathe:
- 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. 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
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!
