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When it comes to reducing anxiety, don’t underestimate the power of simplicity. That’s the beauty of box breathing, a technique that can help you calm your nerves merely through breathwork and counting.
Also called “square breathing” or “tactical breathing,” box breathing anchors your mind to your breath as a form of intentional cadence breathing. Each side of the “box” represents one motion—inhale, hold, exhale, hold—and each lasts for four seconds. The secret to box breathing is its repetitive nature since our brains are wired to pay attention whenever we give them a pattern.
Highly trained military individuals use box breathing to steel their nerves and focus before entering high-pressure situations. So do professional athletes, police officers, and nurses, while this breathing technique is regularly incorporated into meditation and yoga practices.
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Box breathing doesn’t require any special equipment to get started and if you’re using it to help fall asleep, your cool, dark, quiet bedroom may be the perfect place for it. When you’re ready to get started, breathe out slowly to release all the air from your lungs. Then, follow the four steps below. It can also be helpful to visualize a box while you’re performing the exercise (like in our example), with each step representing one side.
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Deep, intentional breathing oxygenates us, reversing the shallow breathing that’s both a symptom of anxiety and a trigger for even more stress. The full oxygen exchange that takes place when we practice box breathing can lower our blood pressure and slow our heartbeat, helping us move from the fight-or-flight response to the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us relax.
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Slow breathing can increase emotional control and wellbeing, with nostril breathing contributing to this, as receptors located in the nose help to regulate autonomic and brain activity. Automatic changes in heart rate variability also have positive effects on feelings of pleasure and relaxation.
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Breathing connects the mind to the body, which could have a positive effect on the ability to process emotions and ideas. There is also more research being conducted on the relationship among breathing’s physiological, emotional, and cognitive effects.
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Nose breathing, often a feature of deep breathing exercises, stimulates areas of the cortex associated with altered states of consciousness and sleep while slow breathing interventions may improve the depth of sleep, although not necessarily its length. Intentional breathing practices like box breathing could also help you better manage the negative effects of prolonged sleep loss. Deep breathing turns on the relaxation response, which, in turn, encourages cellular resiliency and reduces vulnerability to stress.
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Breathing is one of the most accessible, immediate, and easy ways to create calm for ourselves.
Why not try box breathing tonight?
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Get the best sleep ever with the right breathing technique and the best anti-snoring solutions on the market!
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OUR GUARANTEE: 60 Night Better Sleep Guarantee™:
ZQuiet is committed to better sleep for everyone. Enjoy your purchase for 60 nights and if you are unsatisfied for ANY reason whatsoever, simply return your purchase within 60 days for a refund or credit (S&P and trial fees are non-refundable).
For any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact customer service at
800-281-0543 or by emailing [email protected].
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OUR GUARANTEE:
60 Night Better Sleep Guarantee™:
ZQuiet is committed to better sleep for everyone. Enjoy your purchase for 60 nights and if you are unsatisfied for ANY reason whatsoever, simply return your purchase within 60 days for a refund or credit (S&P and trial fees are non-refundable).
For any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact customer service at 800-281-0543 or by emailing [email protected].
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