STRESSFUL DAY? GIVE 'SQUARE BREATHING' A GO

Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body - quote

You know the feeling, you've read a new book, loved it, and want everyone else in your life to read it too. Or at least, share the best bits with them. Finding 'The Art of Rest' (2019) by Claudia Hammond is one of those books.

Recommended by the British Psychological Society, Hammond's book is based on The Rest Test the largest survey ever undertaken on the subject of rest and well-being. It included 18,000 people from 135 different countries.

The book is an engaging discussion into rest. For now, a top tip from the Chapter on 'Mindfulness': Square Breathing.

What is Square Breathing?

If you're having a tough day, or perhaps rising stress or anxiety is making it hard for you to focus - square breathing can help. Taught to Claudia Hammond by Senior Mental Health Nurse, Mandy Stevens, suggested this technique:

  • Look for a square (or a rectangle if you can't find a square)
  • This could be a window, a book or a picture on the wall
  • Start looking at the square, taking your gaze to the top left corner
  • Count to 4 and breathe in as you take your gaze to the top right hand corner of the square
  • Take your gaze to the bottom right corner and hold your breath as you count to 4
  • Breathe out as you count 1, 2, 3, 4 and look to the bottom left corner
  • Hold your breath for another count of 4 as you take your gaze back to the top left corner
  • Repeat this sequence as many times as you want until you feel calmer

Square breathing technique for managing anxiety by Senior Nurse Mandy Stevens

Try it out now on the square painting below:

Teal Yellow Letting Go Abstract Artwork on ABSTRAKTOLOGIE

To discover more by Claudia Hammond and 'The Art of Rest' check out her website and BBC Radio 4 Podcast 'All in the Mind'. For lots of square paintings to help you breathe more deeply, check out our Collection.

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