4-4-4 – Learning to Breathe like the Navy SEALs or like me ๐. What t do I mean by learning to breathe? Let me give some context.
Life can be overwhelming. More and more gets put on my shoulders with challenges and tests coming from every direction. Recently, it has felt simply staggering. Health issues (PD, edemas, infections, side effects of the drugs), significant emotional challenges, work stress, and the small matter of war and a son at the front line.
In reality, when I get the chance to reflect, I am truly blessed despite all of it. At the end of the day, I have the most insanely amazing core of family members and friends, interesting and rewarding work and hobbies, and I am blessed to live where I live. In short, I am one of the luckiest people around (in my subjective view). But in the moment, this is sometimes a distant memory as I sit there worried about all around me. When panic sets in, the good stuff can sometimes not help. Emotion takes over all logic.
I am also impulsive by nature. This can help me quickly react, but it can also cause me to rush.
I have found one practical thing to help meโฆ I have increasingly come to count on a simple yet powerful tool to help me cope: breathing. Yes, a few deep breaths can make a huge difference. I have been taught a method based on 4-4-4 which genuinely helps me. It so happens that this is a method used by the US Navy SEALs to keep calm in stressful moments. I didn’t know this until recently – I don’t think they got it from me!
At times of the day when it all feels too much, just taking a few deep breaths gives me the strength and focus to push through. It is actually true and not blah-blah.
Breathing techniques like 4-4-4, also known as box breathing, are scientifically proven to help reduce stress and improve focus. When we breathe deeply, it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (yes – I looked it up), which promotes a state of calm and relaxation. This technique involves inhaling for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 4 seconds, exhaling for 4 seconds, and holding again for 4 seconds. Some add a 4 seconds of holding after – I am not there yet.
Like many, I thought breathing was at least one activity I didn’t need to learn – I was so wrong. My breath was shallow and not controlled. In the almost 5 years of yoga and having a personal trainer, I have started to get hold of this, and it is starting to be a huge asset – a long way to go before I am a master or even an apprentice.
A true tip for anyone experiencing stress is to learn a breathing method – there are loads. Mine is 4-4-4 – taking up to 10 deep breaths – 4 seconds in, hold for 4 seconds, and breathe out for 4 seconds. This is truly not easy and needs a lot of work, but I strongly support it or other methods (I don’t think the exact one matters). Choose any method that works for you – I don’t think it is too important which, but the skill is key.
For more information, you can check out this article on box breathing.
