Immediate aid for stress: With Box Breathing to inner peace

Box Breathing is a breath exercise to calm the nervous system and thus help with stress and tension. The technology is based on four simple steps that you can apply at any time.

Box Breathing is an exercise of deep breathing. With the help of deep and slow breaths, the autonomous nervous system should be calmed down and relaxed. This can bring a lot of health benefits, including immediate aid when stressed with relief of stress symptoms.

Here you can find out what Box Breathing is, how the breathing exercise works and in which situations you can use it.

What is Box Breathing?

The term box Breathing (in German about box breathing) refers to the 4 × 4 principle of the exercise, i.e. the four sides of a box. The four steps are:

1. Inhale
2. Breathe
3. Exhale
4. Stop

The four steps are carried out for four seconds (or until you have counted slowly to four) and repeated four times.

Box Breathing is therefore a form of breathing exercises, similar to the pranayama in yoga. With the box breathing, you can reduce stress and ensure more inner peace and mindfulness in everyday life.

Effect: This is how Box Breathing helps with stress

The autonomous nervous system (Ans) soothes long and deep breathing. Therefore, Box Breathing is particularly suitable for situations in which we experience stress or high pressure, for example. As a relaxation technology, it can also help you fall asleep.

Box Breathing has the following positive effects on the body. It can:

• be relaxing

• reduce blood pressure

• Relieve pain

• help coping stress

• Reduce anxiety

• Allow depression or depressive moods.

Due to the slow breathing, CO2 is briefly bound in the blood, which in turn slows down the heartbeat and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This has a relaxing and calming effect on us.

Studies from 2023 and 2024 show that Box Breathing has a positive effect on our mental and physical well -being and can effectively influence the respiratory rate. The latter is particularly relevant for people with breathing difficulties – for example due to a lung disease.

Perform Box Breathing: who and how?

Box Breathing is generally suitable for everyone who wants to reduce stress and want to overcome inner unrest. However, people with the following symptoms should obtain medical advice before performing the exercise:

• Heart disease
• Pulmonary disease
• Otherwise serious health problems
• Pregnant woman

To use Box Breathing yourself, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Find a quiet place where you are undisturbed for a moment. You can do the exercise while lying down, sitting or standing.
2. Breathe normal for a minute.

3. Step 1: Breathe in through the nose and slowly count to four. Feel how your lungs fill with air.

4. Step 2: Hold your breath for four seconds. Do not breathe or out.

5. Step 3: breathe out slowly and controlled through your mouth. Also count until four.

6. Step 4: Keep your breath again for four seconds.

7. Repeat steps one to three times, or until you feel calmer.

Tip: Put your hands on the stomach and chest during the exercise. The abdominal blanket should lift. If only the chest rises, you breathe too flat. You can read more about this here: breathe properly: why it is so important.