Visual Box Breathing
Trace a square to pace four-part breathing during anxious moments
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 99%
Smith presents box or square breathing as a quick coping exercise she may teach people experiencing high anxiety between therapy sessions. The person chooses a square object such as a door or window and traces its four sides with their eyes: breathe in on the first side, pause on the second, breathe out on the third, and pause on the fourth. She gives four seconds per side as an example, not a compulsory prescription. The visual focus helps mark which phase comes next when panic makes slow breathing difficult. Smith also mentions emerging research suggesting that a longer out-breath may be helpful, but the episode does not identify a study or establish comparative efficacy. This extraction therefore presents the exercise as a coping tool she describes, not a guaranteed treatment or universal medical recommendation.
Origin
Dr Julie Smith demonstrates box or square breathing on The Diary of a CEO as a discreet coping exercise for high anxiety.
Core principles
- 01Breathing is one accessible route into a wider stress response
- 02A visual shape can support attention when slow breathing feels difficult
- 03Equal counts create a simple repeatable rhythm
- 04A longer out-breath is an alternative Smith says may be calming
How to run it
- 1
Find a square
Choose a door, window, or imagined square that your eyes can trace without drawing attention.
Pro tip Use a fixed object if anxiety makes internal counting difficult.
- 2
Inhale up one side
Trace the first side while breathing in at a comfortable pace. Smith uses about four seconds as an example.
Watch out Do not force a count that feels uncomfortable.
- 3
Pause across the top
Trace the second side while pausing the breath comfortably.
Watch out Skip breath holding if it is unsuitable for you.
- 4
Exhale down the side
Trace the third side while breathing out slowly. Smith also says making the out-breath longer than the in-breath may help calm the response.
Pro tip Keep the breath controlled rather than forceful.
- 5
Pause and repeat
Trace the fourth side during another comfortable pause, then repeat the square if helpful.
Pro tip Stop once you have enough steadiness to choose the next useful action.
Watch out Stop if you feel faint, distressed, or unwell.
In the wild
Smith suggests that someone on a bus or in a meeting can look at a square door or window and trace its edges while pacing the four breathing phases. The object supplies a private visual cue without requiring equipment or an obvious routine.
→ The person has a structured way to slow and monitor breathing during an anxious moment.
Common mistakes
Treating four seconds as mandatory
Smith presents four seconds as an example and later says the exact numbers are less important than the breathing pattern.
Claiming it switches anxiety off
Smith calls it a way to slow the response; she explicitly says there is no direct anxiety off switch.
Is it for you?
Best for
People who already know paced breathing is safe for them and want a simple tool during everyday anxious moments.
Not ideal for
Anyone who becomes unwell with breath holding, has been advised against such exercises, or needs urgent medical or mental-health care.
From the transcript
“sort of box breathing or square breathing”
“breathing in four hold four out four hold four”
From the episode
World Leading Psychologist: How To Detach From Overthinking & Anxiety: Dr Julie Smith