Square Breathing: Simple Steps to Calm and Focus

Written by Evan Vukets, RCC, Registered Clinical Counsellor in Abbotsford, BC. I support men in Abbotsford, the Fraser Valley, and online across BC. Learn more about me

First published March 26, 2021. Last updated September 8, 2025.

Life moves quickly, our brain and body often struggles to keep up. We race through busy schedules and battle mountainous task lists. For many men I work with, this most often leads to an inability to focus at work, struggling with sustaining motivation, difficulty sleeping, or snapping at loved ones without meaning to.

If you feel caught in any of these symptoms, it most likely means your nervous system is stuck on high alert. It is not enough to simply “think your way” back to calm. Your body needs a reset.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to do this is through a technique called Square Breathing. It is also known as box breathing, four square breathing, or sometimes “resetting your brain.”

This breathing exercise for stress and anxiety is practical, quick, and can be done almost anywhere.

What Is Square Breathing?

Square Breathing is a structured way of controlling your breath. The practice is simple: inhale, hold your breath, exhale, hold your breath, and repeat.

Think of it like tracing the sides of a square: four equal sides, four equal counts.

This technique is used by athletes, first responders, and even the military as a way to quickly calm the body and sharpen focus. And it works just as well in everyday life, whether you are preparing for a difficult meeting, trying to fall asleep, or needing a break from constant stress.

Square Breathing helps shift you out of fight flight freeze and into a calmer rest and digest state.

How to Practice Square Breathing

Here is a simple way to try it right now:

1. Inhale slowly through your nose as you count to 4. Feel your lungs expand.

2. Hold your breath for a slow count of 4. Try not to clamp down, simply pause.

3. Exhale gently through your mouth for a count of 4.

4. Hold again for a count of 4 before starting the cycle over.

   
   

Repeat this cycle at least three times. If you can, practice for about four minutes, or until a sense of calm starts to return.

(Note: if you are just getting started with breath work, take it easy. If you feel any light headedness, keep to three cycles a few times a day and gradually increase.)

Adding a Visual Aid

The visual aspect of square breathing makes it even more effective. Imagine tracing the sides of a square as you breathe:

• Up the first side as you inhale

• Across the top as you hold

• Down the side as you exhale

• Across the bottom as you hold again

  
  

You can use a square shaped object around you such as a sticky note, a picture frame, a clock, or even a pair of dice. Tracing with your eyes or imagination can give your mind something to focus on as your body slows down. Or download this GIF as a quick reference:

Why Square Breathing Works

When you are under stress, your body flips into survival mode. The fight flight freeze response prepares you to react with a racing heart, shallow breathing, and tense muscles. This is helpful in moments of real danger, but in daily life it keeps you stuck in overdrive.

By consciously slowing and controlling your breath, you signal to your nervous system that the threat has passed. Your heart rate lowers, muscles release tension, and your brain gets the message: it is safe to relax.

From this calmer state, you can think more clearly, respond instead of react, and handle challenges with more perspective.

You cannot always think your way out of stress, but you can breathe your way through it.

Benefits of Square Breathing

Practicing Square Breathing regularly can help with:

• Lowering blood pressure.

• Reducing headaches and muscle tension.

• Improving sleep quality.

• Sharpening focus and concentration.

• Easing anxiety symptoms.

• Supporting memory and brain function.

• Reducing risk of long term stress conditions such as heart disease or stroke.

• Strengthening immune function.

  
  

Even a few minutes a day can make a difference. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to use this tool in the moments when you need it most.

Common Challenges (and How to Work Through Them)

Like any skill, Square Breathing takes a little practice. Here are a few tips if you find it tricky at first:

• Counting feels awkward? Try saying the numbers in your head to keep rhythm.

• Feel lightheaded? Slow down your breathing and return to normal breaths before trying again.

• Mind keeps wandering? That is normal. Each time it drifts, gently bring your focus back to counting or tracing the square.

• Feels too simple? Remember, the simplest techniques are often the most effective. Square Breathing works precisely because it interrupts stress in a direct, physical way.

  
  

How I Use Square Breathing in Counselling

In my work with men, Square Breathing is often one of the first tools I share. It is practical, accessible, and does not require any special equipment or background knowledge.

Many of the men I work with tell me that Square Breathing becomes their reset button. Whether it is before walking into a tough meeting, after a stressful day, or during an argument at home, this technique helps them step off autopilot and back into the present moment.

Of course, breathing techniques alone do not solve the deeper challenges of stress, burnout, or disconnection. But they create the breathing room needed to start exploring those challenges with more clarity.

An Invitation to Go Deeper

If you have been struggling with stress, burnout, or the physical symptoms of chronic pressure, Square Breathing is a powerful first step. But sometimes, the weight of it all runs deeper.

That is where counselling can help.

At Evan Vukets Counselling, I work with men in Abbotsford, across the Fraser Valley, and online throughout British Columbia. Together, we look at what is keeping you stuck in survival mode and build practical tools like Square Breathing to help you move toward a calmer, more grounded life.

You do not have to carry the weight of stress on your own.

If you would like to explore this further, I would be honoured to walk alongside you to help. You can book a session or reach me directly at e.vukets@gmail.com.