Tried the 4-7-8 breathing thing during my lunch break and it actually worked better than scrolling my phone

I always grab my phone and get all stressed reading news during my 30 minute lunch. Last week I sat in my car in the parking lot at work and did that 4-7-8 breathing method for like 3 minutes. It calmed me down way more than seeing bad headlines and I actually felt ready for my afternoon meetings. Has anyone else found a weird break routine that beats the usual phone habit?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancythomas1mo ago

Honestly, did you feel a little silly doing it at first? I was totally that person who rolled my eyes at breathing exercises (I mean, come on, just breathe? that's the advice?). But I tried it once when I was about to lose it on a coworker and yeah, it actually worked. Now I hide in the bathroom stall for a couple minutes and do it instead of checking Instagram. It's kind of wild how something so simple can reset your whole mood, especially when the phone just makes everything worse.

williamb291mo ago

Ha, yeah, I read somewhere that scrolling on your phone actually triggers a stress response because of all the bad news and notifications. It makes total sense when you think about it. I'm with you on the breathing thing. I do a similar trick where I just count my breaths for a minute, keeps me from doomscrolling before bed. The phone is basically a panic button in our pockets, so anything that breaks that cycle is a win in my book.