Five Minutes of Deep Breathing

Five Minutes of Deep Breathing

A way to settle your body before sleep.

When we’ve been carrying stress, the nervous system can stay stuck on high alert, like a car engine that won’t turn off. This one-page 4-7-8 breathing guide is one of the most direct ways to tell your brain you’re safe right now, so your body can rest.

What’s inside

• The pattern, made visual: inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8, plus a plain-language explanation of why the long exhale tells your nervous system it’s okay to rest.
• Getting started: a short, read-along cue for finding a comfortable position.
• Two guided rounds: counted out step by step, so you can find the rhythm before going on your own.
• Continuing on your own: encouragement to keep going, start again if you lose count, then let your breath return to normal.
• Checking in with yourself: what it means if you feel calmer, emotional or tearful, or restless like it didn’t work. All three are normal.
• If the hold feels like too much: a simple option to skip it and just breathe in for 4 and out for 8.

Who it’s for

Kids, teens and adults dealing with stress, anxiety or trouble falling asleep. It’s useful for therapists, school counselors and parents building calming routines.

Ways to use it

• Make it part of a bedtime routine, right after the Guided Body Scan.
• Teach it in session, then practice it together so it feels familiar.
• Try it before a stressful moment, like a test or a hard conversation.
• Read it aloud to a child until they can lead it themselves.

Why it’s different

It normalizes every response, including tears and “it didn’t work,” and offers an easier no-hold version. The message throughout is that it doesn’t need to be perfect, just steady.

What you get

A one-page printable PDF, US Letter, available as an instant download. It uses the 4-7-8 breathing pattern developed by Andrew Weil, MD. Single-clinician license included.

Pairs well with: A Guided Body Scan, The Window of Tolerance, Anxiety & the Body