Lab
Breathe.
Follow the circle. In as it grows, out as it settles. A few minutes is enough to take the edge off a stressful day.
Stop any time. Nose breathing if it's comfortable.
Five seconds in, five seconds out. Six breaths a minute, the most-studied calming pace.
The science, briefly
Slow breathing at around six breaths a minute is the most-studied calming pace: a systematic review links it to higher heart-rate variability and lower anxiety (Zaccaro et al., 2018), and a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials found breathwork reduces self-reported stress (Fincham et al., 2023). The cyclic sigh follows the Stanford protocol, where five minutes a day improved mood and lowered physiological arousal more than mindfulness meditation, with the exhale-weighted sigh performing best (Balban et al., 2023, Cell Reports Medicine). Box breathing was that trial's structured comparator.
A wellbeing exercise, not medical advice. If you feel dizzy, stop and breathe normally. If anxiety is getting in the way of life, a doctor or therapist is the right next step.
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