How do you do calm breathing?

  1. Sit or lie comfortably. Let your shoulders and jaw relax.
  2. Breathe in gently through your nose for a count of 4.
  3. Breathe out slowly through your mouth, or your nose, for a count of 6. Let the breath out be soft, like fogging a window.
  4. Go straight into the next breath in, with no hold.
  5. Repeat for a few minutes.

If 6 counts feels long, try 3 in and 5 out. The point is that the breath out is longer than the breath in. If you feel faint or unwell, stop and breathe normally.

Why make the breath out longer?

Your heart rate rises a little as you breathe in and falls as you breathe out. This normal pattern is described in a 2014 review by Lehrer and Gevirtz. A longer exhale gives more of each breath to the slowing part.

4 in and 6 out also adds up to 10 seconds a breath, which is 6 breaths a minute. That same review notes that most studies find the heart rate swings with breathing are largest at about 6 breaths a minute. See resonant breathing for more on that pace.

What does the research say about exhale-focused breathing?

  • In a 2023 randomized study in Cell Reports Medicine, 108 adults practised 5 minutes a day for a month. The method that emphasised a long exhale, cyclic sighing, showed the largest daily improvement in mood and the largest drop in resting breathing rate, compared with mindfulness meditation.
  • That study tested the physiological sigh, not 4-in-6-out itself. It was small and run remotely, and the authors call it exploratory.
  • The NHS suggests a slow breathing exercise for stress, in through the nose and out through the mouth, for at least 5 minutes, and says regular practice gives the most benefit.

So the evidence points in a hopeful direction, but it is limited. Calm breathing is a way to help yourself settle. It is not a treatment.

When is calm breathing a good choice?

Because it has no holds, it suits people who find box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing uncomfortable. It works sitting at a desk, in a waiting room, or in bed. It is also easy to explain to a child or an older parent, because there is only one thing to remember: breathe out longer than you breathe in.

Try it with Bliss

In CalmSpace.ai, Calm is one of the five rhythms in Breathe together. Host a session and share a link; up to 6 people breathe to the same start time from wherever they are. Bliss can guide everyone with her voice, in sync on every device. After a round, people can send a reaction such as "Feeling calmer", and you can breathe again with the same people. Hosting is free: sign up at app.calmspace.ai.

More guides: breathing together from far away, a bedtime wind-down routine, all breathing guides.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 4-6 breathing technique?

Breathing in for 4 seconds and out for 6, with no holds. The breath out is longer than the breath in, and each breath takes 10 seconds, so you breathe 6 times a minute.

Should I breathe out through my mouth or nose?

Either is fine. The NHS exercise breathes in through the nose and out through the mouth. Choose what feels most comfortable.

How long should I do calm breathing?

A few minutes is a good start. The NHS suggests at least 5 minutes of slow breathing, done regularly. In CalmSpace.ai Breathe together you can choose 1, 3, 5 or 10 minutes.

Is a longer exhale proven to calm you down?

Not proven, but promising. In one small 2023 study, an exhale-focused method improved mood more than mindfulness meditation. More research is needed.