Box Breathing: A One-Minute Reset
Watch: Box Breathing video
Box breathing gives you a simple rhythm to follow when your body feels tense, restless, or overwhelmed.
The big idea: Box breathing has four equal parts. You breathe in, hold your breath, breathe out, and pause before breathing in again. You use the same count for each part.
Why it matters: Stress can change the way you breathe. You may start taking quick, shallow breaths without noticing. Slowing your breathing and giving it a steady rhythm can help reduce physical arousal and give your attention something simple to focus on.
The name comes from the shape of a box. Picture a square in your mind. Each side represents one part of the breathing cycle.
How to do box breathing
You can practice box breathing while sitting, standing, or lying down. Choose a position that feels comfortable and allows you to breathe without strain.
Get comfortable. Place your feet on the floor if you are sitting or standing. Let your shoulders drop and loosen your jaw. You can close your eyes if that feels comfortable, or keep your gaze on one spot in front of you.
Breathe in for a count of four. Slowly inhale through your nose while counting, “one, two, three, four.” Imagine tracing the first side of a square.
Hold for a count of four. Pause without taking another breath. Try to keep your face, shoulders, and chest relaxed while you imagine tracing the second side of the square.
Breathe out for a count of four. Slowly exhale through your nose or mouth while counting to four. Imagine tracing the third side.
Pause for a count of four. Rest before taking your next breath. Imagine tracing the final side of the square.
Repeat the cycle. Complete four rounds. This takes about one minute. If the practice feels comfortable and useful, you can continue for several minutes.
You don’t need to take unusually deep breaths or fill or empty your lungs as much as possible, just breathe slowly and comfortably.
When box breathing can help
Box breathing can be useful when you notice that your body getting tense or your mind racing. You might try it:
Before sending an important email or text when you are upset.
Before a difficult conversation, interview, meeting, or presentation.
When you notice anger, anxiety, or panic beginning to build.
After a stressful event, when your body still feels activated.
At bedtime when you are having trouble settling down.
You can also practice when nothing is wrong. Using the technique when you are calm makes the steps more familiar, which can make them easier to remember when you are stressed.
Make it work for you
If four seconds feels too long, use three. The exact number isn’t important. Choose a count that allows you to breathe comfortably and keep the four parts roughly equal.
If holding your breath feels uncomfortable, shorten the pauses or skip them. You can simply practice slow breathing instead. A calming exercise should not feel like something you have to force yourself through.
If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, stop. Return to your normal breathing and give yourself time to settle before deciding whether to try again.
If counting feels distracting, picture the square instead. Some people find it easier to imagine moving around the four sides of a box than to focus on numbers.
What the research says
A 2023 study published in Cell Reports Medicine compared several five-minute daily breathing practices, including box breathing, with mindfulness meditation. After one month, the researchers found improvements in mood and reductions in anxiety across the breathing and meditation groups. The breathing practices also showed benefits for measures of physiological arousal, although some breathing techniques produced stronger results than box breathing.
You can read the study here.
Try it now
Complete four comfortable rounds of box breathing. When you finish, notice your body before deciding whether the exercise helped.
Are your shoulders sitting differently? Is your jaw less tight? Does your breathing feel slower? Even a small change can help you learn how your body responds to the practice.
Keep building the skill
These skills are part of the Men & Journey Tools, a collection of interactive and video resources designed to help you turn useful ideas into repeatable practices. The Managing Anxiety Toolset includes an Interactive Workbook and an Essential Skills tool with this practice and other strategies you can try.
You can find this practice in Managing Anxiety Toolset → Journey Tools → Essential Skills tool.
Sign up free at learn.menand.ca or access all of Men &’s tools through the Men & Collection.
Share it. If you know someone who could use a short reset today, send this practice their way.
Need to talk to someone? These skills can help you manage difficult moments, but they do not replace professional or crisis support. You can call the Men & Men’s Resource Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-833-327-MENS (6367). If you are in Canada and experiencing a suicide crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 at any time.