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4 - 7 - 8 Breathing exercise
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If you have difficulty sleeping, experiencing anxiety or simply need peace and relaxation for your body and mind, then the 4 - 7 - 8 breathing exercise is definitely an exercise that can be helpful for you.
4 - 7 - 8 - the breathing exercise is an exercise developed by the American doctor 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.
Applying the exercise will activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the calming nervous system), and several studies support that exercise can promote sleep, calm thoughts, reduce stress and anxiety, and lower blood pressure and reduce pain.
1. Breathe through your nose while counting to 4 within yourself
2. Hold your breath as you count to 7 within yourself
3. Exhale through your mouth while counting to 8
The exercise can be repeated about 4 - 8 times (if you repeat more than that, you may feel a little dizzy).
Time: 1-4 minutes depending on the number of repetitions. It can be made both sitting and lying down.
Attention It is not recommended to do the exercise while driving a car, as there is a risk of falling asleep.
The exercise is good if, for example, one needs to calm down before going to sleep, as it calms, promotes sleep and decreases 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 everyday life, where you may feel that you need calm or feel anxious or overwhelmed.
- Reduce stress
- Reduce anxiety
- Reduce pain
- Reduce thought ruminations
- Promote sleep and provide better sleep
- Lower blood pressure
The 4 - 7 - 8 - exercise is a simple breathing exercise that does not require much time, but which affects the parasympathetic nervous system (the calming nervous system) and can help promote sleep and reduce stress, among other things.
