Mindfulness and Meditation Guided Meditations 2-Minute Video Meditation for Instant Calm Achieve deep calmness through 4-7-8 breathing By Andria Park Huynh Andria Park Huynh Andria is the senior editor at Verywell Mind, supporting the management of new content production and shaping editorial strategy. Learn about our editorial process Published on March 26, 2024 Print Verywell Mind / Getty Images Close Getting Started Find a quiet place to sit comfortably upright—at the edge of your bed, on the floor, or in a chairClose your eyes and tune into the breath or another point of focus to be fully presentRelax your body—loosen your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and soften your brows 2:48 Mindful Meditation for Calm Breathing Practice If you take away anything from this meditation series, let it be the 4-7-8 breathing technique outlined in this video. This technique can work in a pinch whenever you're feeling anxious, experiencing overwhelming emotions, or looking to wind down and relax before bed in less than five minutes. The 4-7-8 breathing method activates your parasympathetic nervous system, AKA the system responsible for relaxation. This calms down the sympathetic nervous system that's responsible for the opposite response: the stress/fight-or-flight response. Here's how: Close your mouth and then inhale for a count of four through your nose.Now, count to seven as you hold your breath.Exhale through your mouth audibly for a count of eight. Make sure to exhale fully as if you're a balloon that has completely deflated.Repeat the cycle 4-8 times as often as you'd like each day to reap the benefits. This meditation is also a part of Verywell Mind's 30-day meditation email series, Pause & Play. Sign up here to subscribe and continue your mindfulness journey with us. For more videos, check out our meditation library. For more inspo How 4-7-8 Breathing Can Help You Manage Stress and Anxiety The Benefits of Box Breathing for Stress Management Want to Feel More Relaxed? Try These Deep Breathing Techniques 2-Minute Video Meditation to Drift Off to Sleep 1 Source Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Perciavalle V, Blandini M, Fecarotta P, et al. The role of deep breathing on stress. Neurol Sci. 2017;38(3):451-458. doi:10.1007/s10072-016-2790-8 By Andria Park Huynh Andria is the senior editor at Verywell Mind, where she helps manage new content production and shape editorial strategy to deliver the highest quality mental health content in the category. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit