Do you know how to Box Breathe? This is when you inhale, hold, exhale, and hold, doing each step for 4 seconds. This is my LEAST favourite way to breathe – it makes me feel lightheaded and like I’m about to hyperventilate. So, I don’t do it.
If I have a few minutes to really focus, this is the strategy I prefer:
As you can see from my lovely hand model, this technique works for kids too.
If I’m running short on time, I do a quick visualization instead: breathe in the flowers, blow out the candles. It’s described in slightly more detail here:
All to say, if a breathing technique is making you feel worse rather than better, try a different one. Our breath is powerful – calming us, energizing us, helping us to fall asleep – but only when we listen to it.
© Charise Jewell, 2024
