Lachlan Brown
Ever catch yourself holding your breath at the worst possible moment—right before you hit “send” on a risky email or when a stranger glances your way on the train?
I still do, even after years of writing about mindfulness.
It’s like my body flips an internal panic switch before my mind catches up.
But here’s the upside: breath is also the quickest dial I know for turning the volume down on stress and tuning in to the present.
When I started Hack Spirit in my twenties, I assumed mindful living was mostly about meditation cushions and long retreats.
These days, I’m convinced the real magic happens in the pockets of everyday life: on the morning commute, during a tense Zoom call, or right before bed.
That’s where mindful breathing shines.
Below are four go-to techniques that have rescued me from spirals of anxiety, procrastination, and the occasional existential tailspin.
You don’t need incense, apps, or a full hour on the clock—just a willingness to pay attention to the air already moving through you.
The simple power of box breathing
“Calm is contagious.”
That mantra, floated through my head the first time I tried box breathing backstage at a speaking gig.
My heart was pounding hard enough to rattle the lectern.
Four counts in, four counts hold, four counts out, four counts hold.
By the third cycle my pulse still thumped, but the edges of panic had softened.
What I like about this exercise is its geometry.
Visualizing the four equal sides of a square gives my mind something precise to grip.
Paced breathing in the 4-4-4-4 format can quickly stabilize heart rate and blood pressure, handy when you’re juggling deadlines or wrangling toddlers.
How I practice it
- Inhale through the nose for four slow counts.
- Hold for four.
- Exhale through the mouth for four.
- Hold empty for four.
Repeat for just one minute, and notice how the body settles without any force.
Whenever my brain races ahead of itself, drawing that mental square brings me back.
Slowing down with 4-7-8 breathing
Ever lie awake replaying tomorrow’s to-do list on a mental loop?
Same here. Dr. Andrew Weil popularized 4-7-8 breathing as a portable sedative, and after a month of nightly practice I became a believer.
The extended seven-count hold slows the heart; the eight-count exhale tricks the nervous system into “rest and digest” mode.
The whole routine takes less time than scrolling one more headline.
The evening drill
- Exhale fully through the mouth with a gentle whoosh.
- Close the mouth; breathe in quietly through the nose for a count of four.
- Hold for seven.
- Whoosh out for eight.
I aim for four rounds.
Pair it with dimmed lights and—if you geek out on breathing science like I do—James Nestor’s Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.
That book convinced me oxygen isn’t the hero of relaxation; carbon dioxide tolerance is. Wild, right?
Finding balance through coherent breathing
I’ve talked about this before, but coherent breathing is the closest thing I know to a nervous-system factory reset.
You simply breathe at around five to six cycles per minute—roughly five counts in, five counts out.
The slower the breath, the safer the body feels. When your body feels safe, your mind stops scanning for threats.
I often use this rhythm before big editorial meetings—breathing through the nose, imagining the inhale rising from my belly to my collarbones, letting the exhale drift back down again.
My on-the-go version
- Pair the breath with a quiet mantra like “Here” on the inhale and “Now” on the exhale.
- Continue for five minutes, or until you notice your shoulders unknot.
If you’re curious about the deeper Buddhist angle, I explore how breath bridges body and mind in Hidden Secrets of Buddhism: How To Live With Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego—feel free to peek at the ideas there when you’re done here.
Letting go with mindful sighs
Finally, let’s talk about the humble sigh.
Stanford researchers Jack Feldman and Mark Krasnow call a double inhale followed by a sigh out the “physiological sigh”—the body’s built-in stress buster.
I used to think sighing was rude or defeatist. Now I treat it like hitting refresh on a sluggish browser.
Picture a two-stage inhale: a normal breath in through the nose, a tiny top-up sniff, then a long sigh out through the mouth.
Two or three of these can lower carbon-dioxide levels and calm the amygdala faster than a full meditation session, according to their lab findings.
Where this helps me most
- Mid-afternoon energy dips.
- After a tough conversation when emotions hum just under the surface.
- While waiting in airport lines (my passport stamps might look glamorous on Instagram, but patience in real life is an endangered species).
I sometimes add a gentle shoulder roll on the exhale. The combo releases tension sneaking into muscles I didn’t realize were clenched.
Final words
Breath is the original multitool: it anchors attention, tunes the nervous system, and costs exactly zero dollars.
Yet most of us treat it like background noise—until it falters, or we catch ourselves gasping before a stressful moment.
These exercises—box breathing, 4-7-8, coherent breathing, and mindful sighs—cover different gears, from quick calm to bedtime wind-down.
Experiment with each, notice which fits your rhythm, and remember that mastery isn’t measured in perfect counts but in noticing when you’ve drifted and starting again.
At Hack Spirit we’re big on turning awareness into action.
Maybe set a phone reminder that simply says “Breathe” or tack a sticky note on the kettle.
Every conscious inhale is an opportunity to meet the present moment on your own terms—which, if you ask me, beats letting anxiety choose the soundtrack.
See you in the next breath.
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