Slow your breath, slow your body
Three guided patterns. Each one slows your breathing a little differently. Try one for a minute or two, or switch whenever you like.
Not sure where to start? Resonance breathing is the gentlest. 4-7-8 is best when you need to calm down quickly or fall asleep.
In for 4, hold 7, out 8. Making the exhale longer than the inhale nudges the body toward its rest state. Research links 4-7-8 to a lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and less anxiety. Learn more →
Equal counts of four: breathe in, soft pause, out, soft pause, following the dot around the square. Keep the pauses relaxed, not a strained breath-hold. A simple, even rhythm that calms the stress response and helps you stay composed. Learn more →
Slow and even: five seconds in, five seconds out, about six breaths a minute. This pace supports heart-rate variability, a marker of nervous-system resilience, and is the rate used in clinical HRV biofeedback. Learn more →
If breathing exercises make you feel lightheaded or more anxious, stop and breathe normally. If you’re in danger or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) now, or call 911.
These are self-help skills, not therapy or crisis care.
Mary Hoisington, LMFT · maryhoisingtonlmft.com
Focus on the shapes.
Let the rest of your system settle.
Arrow keys move & rotate · Space drops · P pauses
Take a moment before returning to your next task. Notice your breathing, muscle tension, and level of activation.
If distress stays high, you don’t have to manage it alone. Reach out to someone you trust, and bring it to your next session if you’re in therapy. If you’re in danger or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) now, or call 911.
Why a puzzle? Doing something visually demanding soon after a distressing event may compete with the way the brain locks in upsetting images. A line of research has used falling-block games to reduce how often those images come back. It’s a brief, evidence-informed reset, not treatment. See the research →
Take whatever time you need. The countdown is paused too.
This clears the board and restarts the 10-minute countdown.
That’s the full reset window. This activity is meant to be brief and contained, not open-ended.
If it’s still helping you settle, you can return to the board and keep playing without a timer. Otherwise, move on to the wrap-up.
The stack reached the top. No problem. This isn’t about performance.
In for 4, hold 7, out 8. A quick way to downshift. Learn more →
Equal 4-4-4-4, with relaxed pauses (not a strained breath-hold). Learn more →
5 in, 5 out. About six breaths a minute. Learn more →
Doing something visually demanding soon after a distressing event may compete with the way the brain locks in upsetting images. A line of research has used falling-block games to reduce how often those images come back. It’s a brief, evidence-informed reset, not treatment.