If you have trouble sleeping, experience anxiety, or simply need to calm and relax your body and mind, the 4-7-8 breathing exercise is likely something that can help you.
The 4-7-8 breathing exercise was developed by the American physician Dr. Andrew Weil. The exercise is inspired by yogic breathing techniques and is designed to promote relaxation and reduce stress and anxiety in both body and mind.
When you perform the exercise, you activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the calming nervous system), and several studies support that the exercise can promote sleep, provide calm during racing thoughts, reduce stress and anxiety, as well as lower blood pressure and reduce pain.
The exercise can be repeated about 4-8 times (if you repeat it more than that, you may feel a little dizzy).
Time: 1-4 minutes depending on the number of repetitions. It can be done either sitting or lying down.
Note: It is not recommended to do the exercise while driving, as there is a risk of falling asleep.
The exercise is great if, for example, you need to calm down before going to sleep, as it soothes, promotes sleep, and reduces racing thoughts. For some, it is so effective that they fall asleep after just a few breaths.
The exercise can also be used during a break in your day when you feel you need calm or are feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
The 4-7-8 technique is a simple breathing exercise that requires very little time, yet it influences the parasympathetic nervous system (the body's calming system) and can help promote sleep and reduce stress, among other benefits.
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