Five Minutes of Breath
Five minutes of slow breathing in the morning, and later in the evening too. For a calmer day.
For anyone who wants a calmer day. Five minutes of cyclic sighing in the morning, and from the second week, five minutes of slow breathing in the evening.
A day in the program
Tasks, in order.
Times assume waking at 7:00 and going to sleep at 23:00. In the app, they shift to fit you.
Morning
- 7:15Breathe for 5 minutes5 min · Mind · Every day
When you sit down in the morning, breathe in through your nose, top it off with a second short inhale, then breathe out slowly and fully through your mouth. Repeat at a calm pace for 5 minutes; in the first days, 2 is fine.
Caution. If you feel dizzy, stop and breathe normally. Never practice breathing exercises in water or while driving.
What the trial showed. In a randomized trial, 5 minutes of cyclic sighing a day improved mood more than five minutes of mindfulness (Balban et al. 2023).
Night
- 22:00Breathe slowly in the evening5 min · Mind · Every day
When you lie down, breathe in for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds, for 5 minutes. This task starts in week two; you can skip it in the first week.
Six breaths a minute. Slow breathing at around six breaths a minute raises heart rate variability the most (Lehrer and Gevirtz 2014).
General suggestions for everyday wellbeing, not medical advice. Adjust the tasks to suit you. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication regularly, talk to your doctor before making changes.
What our programs build onSources
What the program builds on.
Slow evening breathing at around six breaths a minute is based on a review of heart rate variability.
Breathing is tied to the same moment of the day, because a habit forms through repetition on the same cue.
The program takes five minutes of cyclic sighing a day from a randomized trial in which it improved mood more than mindfulness.