🌬️ Breathing

When you're stressed, your body leans on its fight-or-flight system — faster heart, shallow breath, racing thoughts. Slow, even breathing does the opposite: it nudges your nervous system back toward rest-and-digest, the calm setting.

The big lever is your exhale. Breathing out slowly stimulates the vagus nerve, which gently slows your heart rate and tells your brain it's safe to settle. That's why a long, unhurried out-breath feels so steadying — and why you don't have to force calm, you just have to keep following the circle.

• Box (4·4·4·4) — even and balanced. Great for focus or steadying yourself before something stressful.
• 4-7-8 — a long hold and an even longer exhale. The most relaxing of the three; nice for winding down or drifting off to sleep.
• Coherence (5·5) — about six breaths a minute, the pace where heart rate and breath fall into a smooth rhythm. A gentle everyday reset.

A few rounds is plenty. If you ever feel dizzy, just let your breath return to normal — that's your body's way of saying ease off.