Breathing for traffic, queues and hard days

Stuck on the Ring Road, standing in a long queue, or walking out of a difficult conversation: you cannot always change the moment, but you can change how you breathe through it. Slow breathing helps many people feel calmer, and it needs nothing but a minute.

Why the breath

When we are tense, breathing tends to become quick and shallow. Slowing it down on purpose, especially the out-breath, helps many people feel a little more settled. It will not fix the traffic, but it can soften how you react to it.

The longer exhale

Breathe in gently through your nose for a count of about four. Breathe out slowly, through your nose or mouth, for a count of about six. Repeat a few times. The numbers are not rules, only a rhythm to follow. What matters is that the exhale is a little longer than the inhale and nothing feels forced.

Box breathing

In for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. Picture yourself drawing the four sides of a square. Do a few rounds. If holding your breath feels uncomfortable, shorten the counts or leave the holds out.

When to use them

Before a meeting or an exam. In a queue. After an argument. In bed when your mind is busy. If you are driving, keep your eyes open and your attention on the road, and simply let the breath slow down, without holding it.

Be gentle

Breathe comfortably, not so deeply that it becomes a strain. If you feel dizzy, light-headed or uneasy, stop and breathe normally. If you have a lung or heart condition, or breathing exercises make you anxious, check with your doctor first.