Ro's Recz

On Headspace there is a breathing exercise called Deep Breathing. It is only a 2-3 minute guided exercise, but I find it very useful. In addition to being very calming and soothing, it is a super easy exercise to do.

The Deep Breathing exercise is very similar to Box Breathing and the 4-4-4 breathing technique. All of these methods involve similar tactics, in which you breathe in, hold your breath, and exhale for a certain amount of time. In Box Breathing and 4-4-4 method, you do all of the 3 steps mentioned for 4 seconds each. In the Headspace version, you breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for 6 seconds. Ultimately though, it is more the practice that provides value, and the amount of time can be relatively flexible.

I tend to use the Headspace guided exercise before I go to sleep, and I find that it makes me feel more relaxed and ready to fall asleep. However, I also think that the exercise could be useful in any type of situation where you want to calm/settle down. While I prefer to do the method when someone is counting for me, it is also very possible to do the exercise by yourself without any guidance.

If you have the Headspace app, I would highly recommend you check out the Deep Breathing exercise and try it out! If you do not have it though, you can follow YouTube videos such as this one or read articles to learn more about the breathing technique!