Deep focus breathing

How to do it

Sit upright in a comfortable position. If it helps you feel ready, clear your desk or close a few tabs first.

1. Breathe all the way out to start.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose for five counts.
3. Hold for five counts. Keep your face and shoulders relaxed.
4. Breathe out slowly for five counts.
5. Hold for five counts with your lungs empty, then begin again.

Eight rounds takes under three minutes. When you finish, start the thing you've been putting off before your phone can pull you away.

The details. In 5, hold 5, out 5, hold 5. One round takes 20 seconds, so you breathe three times a minute. Eight rounds is 2 minutes 40 seconds. In Orris, this pattern is called Deep Focus.

When to use it

Deep focus breathing is a good way to mark the start of focused time.

• Before writing, studying, or anything that needs deep concentration
• When you sit down to a task you've been avoiding
• Between meetings, to clear your head before the next thing
• Before an exam
• When your attention feels scattered across too many tabs

Your first few rounds

The holds feel long.

Five counts with your lungs empty is a stretch at first. Start with box breathing at four counts and come back to this when it feels easy.

You feel restless.

Normal, especially if you came straight from your inbox. Stick with it for a few rounds and the restlessness usually fades.

You feel a little lightheaded.

Stop and breathe normally for a moment, and it will pass. If you're pregnant or have a heart or lung condition, skip the holds or check with your doctor first.

Why it helps you focus

Slow breathing calms the jumpy, alert state that makes it hard to settle into one thing. The holds add structure: there's always a count to keep, which gives a wandering mind something simple to come back to. At three breaths a minute, it's one of the slowest patterns in Orris.

A review of slow-breathing studies found it's linked with feeling calmer, more alert, and less anxious, along with brain activity associated with a relaxed but attentive state.

A broader review of breathwork found people who practiced it reported less stress than people who didn't.

Make it your own

Start at four.

Box breathing is the same pattern at four counts, and an easier place to start.

Drop the bottom hold.

If the empty hold is the hard part, hold only after the breath in.

Keep it short.

Even four rounds, about a minute and a half, is a useful reset.

Questions people ask

Other ways to focus

See all eight patterns