Breathe slowly and gently, at about six breaths a minute, with each out-breath as long as or longer than the in-breath: the NHS suggests breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, counting to five each way, for at least five minutes. Pick a pattern, press start and follow the circle; if you feel dizzy or more anxious, stop and breathe normally.
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Enter your bedtime to get a simple wind-down plan, built from the Steady Sleep rules in the book and NHS sleep advice.
From the book's Baseline Check. For the last two weeks, how often have you… It is not a diagnostic test and the answers mean nothing clinical: it just shows where your "stress bucket" may be leaking, so you know where to start. Your answers never leave this page and are not saved.
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Breathing is the one part of the stress response you can steer on purpose. Slowing down, and especially making the out-breath longer, nudges your body towards its "rest and recover" mode. Reviews of slow-breathing research link breathing at around six breaths a minute with signs of a calmer nervous system and lower reported anxiety. It is not a cure for anything; it is a fast, free way to take the edge off, and it works better the more you practise when you're already calm.
| Pattern | Timing | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Slow paced | In 5 s, out 5 s (6 breaths a minute) | The daily one. The NHS describes this for stress: at least 5 minutes. |
| Long exhale | In 4 s, out 7 s | Before a call, after a stressful email, when your shoulders are up by your ears. 1 to 3 minutes. |
| Box | In 4, hold 4, out 4, hold 4 | A steady count to focus on. Skip the holds if they feel tight. |
| 4-7-8 | In 4, hold 7, out 8 | Winding down. Only if holding feels comfortable. |
| Cyclic sighing | In 2 s, top-up in 1 s, out 6 s | Five minutes a day; promising in one randomised study. |
Keep it gentle. Breathe at a comfortable depth through your nose where you can. If you feel dizzy, lightheaded or more anxious, stop and breathe normally; you are probably breathing too deeply or too fast. Never hold your breath to the point of strain. If you have a heart or lung condition, or you are pregnant, check with your doctor before practising regularly. Chest pain, breathlessness or palpitations, especially for the first time, need a doctor first.
This tool puts a few of the named techniques from Steady Mind to work. Each line says how it relates to the tool.
See every technique in Steady Mind →
The NHS describes a simple slow breathing exercise: get comfortable, breathe gently into your belly, in through your nose and out through your mouth, counting from 1 to 5 on each breath if that helps, and keep going for at least 5 minutes, ideally every day.
Box breathing is a paced pattern with four equal steps: breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4, breathe out for 4 and hold for 4, then repeat. If the holds feel uncomfortable, slow paced breathing or a long exhale without holds works just as a calming routine.
4-7-8 means breathing in for 4 counts, holding for 7 and breathing out for 8. Breathing exercises should feel comfortable: if you feel dizzy, lightheaded or more anxious, stop and breathe normally, and never hold your breath to the point of strain. If you have a heart or lung condition or are pregnant, check with your doctor before practising regularly.
Cyclic sighing is breathing in through the nose, taking a second shorter top-up breath in, then breathing out slowly and fully through the mouth. In a month-long randomised study of healthy volunteers (Balban et al., Cell Reports Medicine, 2023), five minutes a day improved mood and lowered breathing rate, more than mindfulness meditation did. It is a single study, so treat it as promising rather than proven.
No, not on their own. Reviews link slow breathing at around six breaths a minute with signs of a calmer nervous system and lower reported anxiety, so it is a useful self-help tool for everyday stress. If anxiety or low mood lasts for weeks or gets in the way of your life, see a doctor or a licensed mental health professional.
The NHS advice for better sleep is to relax for at least 1 hour before bed, for example with a bath or a book, and not to smoke or drink alcohol, tea or coffee for at least 6 hours before going to bed.
Self-help and education only. This page can't diagnose anything and is not a substitute for care from a doctor or licensed therapist. Don't start, stop or change medication because of anything here.