I mean, yeah, you’re breathing. But unless we’re experiencing breathing difficulties such as those that come from asthma, COPD, COVID, or other respiratory ailments, we tend to not think about it too much.

But what if we did? What if we consciously made an effort to improve our breathing?

Breath is the first way we feed our bodies.

Don’t believe me? Stop doing it. Even Wim Hof can’t hold his breath forever. You can go weeks without food, days without water, but only mere minutes without oxygen.

Wim Hof is pretty badass, but for many of us, his methods are an intimidating place to start.

So start with a box.

Picture your breath building the sides of this box as you breathe in for a count of five, hold for a count of five, breathe out for a count of five, and hold for a count of five. If you can’t do five, do four. Or three. Or count faster.

What conscious breathing does for you.

Grounding is the immediate effect of box breathing. Even one round roots you in this moment, as it’s happening. It brings more oxygen to your brain which helps you make better decisions and makes you less apt to say something stupid you’ll have to set right later (or beat yourself up about not setting right later). It reduces your heart rate, which for most of us is good. And it keeps you out of fight, flight, or freeze mode, which is what we tend toward when we breath shallowly.

In a nutshell, it calms you down. It may or may not be as effective as your favorite chemical downer, but it’s a lot more supportive for you and there’s never an inappropriate time to do it. Unless you’re underwater without an oxygen supply; then it’s a terrible idea.

When to practice conscious breathing.

A very effective way to form a new habit is to attach it to a habit you already have. Most of us have some kind of hot beverage in the morning which requires a bit of waiting—that’s the perfect time to breathe (it’s also the perfect time to drink water). Whether you’re waiting on the coffee maker, the teakettle, or your favorite hot barista, breathe.

(Photo by Yasamine June on Unsplash)

I practice box breathing whenever I’m waiting: standing in a line, stuck in traffic, waiting for someone to finish the story they tell every time they have an audience, waiting for someone to make up their damn mind already…

I’m working on consciously training myself to practice it when I’m angry. When I’m anxious. When I notice I’m breathing shallowly.

It really makes a surprising difference in how my body feels, how my mind works, and how it feels to be in my body.

I invite you to try it.