Square Breathing

Square Breathing

“Square” breathing is an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use technique for quickly reducing stress. It isn’t a long-term solution for panic attacks, but it will help you to get calmed down so you can assess your situation. Also, you can do it in public, so it’s very useful if you have a panic attack in a public place and you can’t get somewhere private.

How it works
This trick takes four minutes.

1.      Begin by slowly breathing in for four seconds. (It’s helpful to count 4 Mississippis)

2.      Hold your breath for four seconds

3.      Slowly breathe out for four seconds

4.      wait four seconds (don’t breathe in)

5.      Repeat steps 1 - 4

Keep doing this for four minutes.

This trick is called square breathing because an easy way to remember it is to picture each step as a side on a square, and then work your way around the square, beginning at “breathe in.”

I like square breathing because it’s quick and it works, and you can do it anywhere. It doesn’t just work for panic attacks either. I use square breathing to manage stress, or just when I want to relax. It’s a great tool to have. Try it out the next time you feel yourself getting stressed.