Nervio

Guides

Box breathing

General wellness information. Not medical advice, and not a substitute for professional care.

Nervio is a breathing timer for general wellness. It is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and not for emergencies. If you are in crisis, call your local emergency number or a crisis line. Stop if you feel dizzy or light-headed; if you have a heart, lung or other medical condition or are pregnant, check with a doctor first. Terms and disclaimer

Box breathing, also called square breathing, is a counted pattern with four equal sides: breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold. A common count is 4 seconds on each side. People use it when they want a steady rhythm rather than a long, sleepy exhale.

In Nervio this lives in Focus mode, starting at 4-4-4-4. This link opens a 2-minute Focus session. You can also pick Quick (about 30 seconds) or 1 minute on the home screen.

The four sides

Sit comfortably. Soften your jaw and your shoulders. You do not need to fill your lungs all the way.

  1. Inhale for 4 seconds.
  2. Hold that breath for 4 seconds, without clenching or straining.
  3. Exhale for 4 seconds.
  4. Pause for 4 seconds before the next inhale. Still no strain.
  5. That is one box. Repeat for a few rounds.

If holding your breath feels tight, frightening, or dizzy, stop. Use a pattern with no holds instead. Calm mode is 4 seconds in and 6 out. During panic, prefer the panic exercise, which is shorter and has no holds.

A short session is enough

You do not need a long practice for this to be a real session. One box is 16 seconds, so a 30-second Quick session is one box and a bit of the next. Two minutes is several boxes. Then stop.

After a timed session, Nervio asks whether you feel better, the same, or worse. Worse shortens every part of the next session a little. Better lengthens every part a little, so the four sides stay even. Reset mode is separate and does not change.

What box breathing is not

It is a pacing exercise. It does not take the place of care for anxiety, trauma, or any other condition, and it will not by itself make you focused or calm. Breathing for focus is the same pattern, used as a one- or two-minute edge before a task. 4-7-8 breathing is a different, slower count for bedtime, with a long exhale.

Start box breathing in Nervio