Box Breathing: Your stress secret weapon!

Tool to Help Reduce Stress – Box Breathing

Breathing is a great tool to use for reducing both mental and physical stress. We have to do no matter what, so carefully focusing on how you are doing it can be used to your advantage. The specific type of breathing I am talking about is box breathing.

What can also be known as square breathing, box breathing is a technique that requires you to focus on taking slow and controlled, deep breaths. While being able to relieve stress, it could also be used to help with performance and concentration. It is a very simple breathing technique that you can use whenever you start to feel stressed.

How to Perform Box Breathing

• Inhale through your nose for a count of 5 seconds
• Hold in your breath for 5 seconds
• Exhale through your mouth for 5 seconds
• Then hold your exhale for 5 seconds
• Do that four times (minimum)

Box breathing works because it is regulating your autonomic nervous system, by slowing down your breathing rate to relieve stress and calm your nerves. You are calming your mind and telling your brain to do nothing but focus on your breathing, which is what’s needed in stressful times.

By incorporating box breathing into your daily routine, you can do wonders for your health. Set up times during the day where you can utilize it and control what normally stresses you out. You can also use it whenever you feel the onset of stress or start to feel overwhelmed. All that you need to do is stop what you are doing and do a set of box breathing.

There are many apps that are available to help with your breathing and meditation in general. Headspace, Calm, Simple Habit, Mindfulness, and Breethe are all good options that we have had coaches and members use. Some of them do require you to pay to use extra stuff, but they do have free resources that you can use as well!

If you have any questions, please let us know!

- Coach Matt