How To Practice Square Breathing
The great thing about square breathing is that there are all kinds of ways you can do it. The specifics of how you practice square breathing are less important than finding a way that works for you. It can feel kind of overwhelming with all the numbers and prompts at first. Don’t worry, it will get better.
But the most important thing to do is be sure you are breathing deeply and slowly. As I have talked about in another article, this controlled diaphragmatic breathing is how you will calm down.
The numbers that work best for me are breathing in for four seconds, holding for four seconds, and breathing out for six seconds. Because that is what works best for me, that is what I tend to teach others.
If you are trying to calm down, it can be helpful to make sure the number you choose for breathing out is larger than the other two. That way, you are sure to release the tension. If you are a visual person, I put this together for you. After you get a handle on the numbers that work best for you, practice your square breathing every as often as you can.
For the best chance of success, start practicing your square breathing when you aren’t actually anxious. This is true for any coping skill. We want to practice them BEFORE we actually need them. I notice if I personally don’t do this, I just get frustrated because it feels 10 times harder. Work smarter not harder, right?
We all are different though, find which works best for you. If you want more information on square breathing and how to do it, take a look at this article I wrote in it.
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