Glossary
Breathe in for four counts, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. Easy to do silently in a meeting.
A 2023 study compared breathing techniques for calming the body down. The one that stood out was the physiological sigh: two inhales through the nose (one big, one short top-up), then a long, slow exhale through the mouth, repeated for five minutes. A few of those before you speak can help you settle. Box breathing (in for four, hold four, out four, hold four) also works and is easier to do silently in a meeting.
Two minutes of box breathing, eyes closed: in for four, hold four, out four, hold four. Start the timer and count in your head.
Examples from the course that use it.
Four in, four hold, four out, four hold. You count on your fingers under the desk. By the eighth cycle your jaw has unclenched.
Two minutes of box breathing in the car before you go in. The first thirty seconds you keep opening your eyes to check the clock. By the end you have forgotten the dinner. Then you walk in and enjoy it.