How To Conquer Your Mind In Less Than Two Minutes

Hi friends!! I just got back from my bachelorette party in Los Angeles and had the best time. Twelve of my best friends from around the country traveled to LA to help me celebrate. The theme of the weekend was “City of Angels,” so I asked everyone to wear their most angelic outfits on Saturday night. Needless to say there were a lot of sequins, satin, and sparklies (my favorite).

Friday morning before all the out-of-towners arrived, I could tell my mind was racing. Not necessarily in a negative way, but I definitely had that “monkey mind” (which means the mind is jumping from thought to thought like a monkey swings from branch to branch).

This was not my first rodeo with racing thoughts. I am happy to say that I have trained myself to recognize when I’m in this amplified state, and I’ve accumulated a set of tools that I can use based on the circumstance. Because I knew I wouldn’t have much time before friends arrived, I opted for one of the most basic tools that helps me calm my mind: The 4-7-8 breathing method.

What is the 4-7-8 breathing method?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the technique has ancient roots in yoga but was popularized in 2015 by integrative medicine specialist Andrew Weil, MD.

How to do it?

• To start, exhale through your mouth, making a whoosh sound
• Next, close your mouth and inhale through your nose for four seconds
• Hold your breath for seven seconds
• Finally, exhale through your mouth, making a whoosh sound for eight seconds

That concludes cycle one – repeat the process three more times for a total of four breath cycles.

Here is a video of Dr. Weil walking you through the method for Matcha.com. He recommends starting the practice by doing the 4 reps 2x a day. Then, after a month you can increase to 8 reps, 2x a day.

Why do it?

Anytime I do the 4-7-8 method, it’s like I’ve immediately taken a chill pill. My thoughts start to move slower, my heart calms down, and I feel more grounded. If you don’t feel those effects immediately after trying the technique, don’t worry. In the Matcha.com interview, Dr. Weil says that it may take 4-6 weeks to notice physiological changes, but over time, the technique has been proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure, improve circulation, and enhance sleep.

How does it work?

This method basically interrupts the anxiety loops and tells your body to reset. Joshua Tal, a New York state-based clinical psychologist, explains the process well in this interview with CNN health. When you’re stressed, your sympathetic nervous system, or “fight-or-flight” response is running on overdrive. Evolutionarily speaking, your body pretty much thinks it’s about to get eaten by a lion. This causes a fast heartbeat and shallow breathing.

The 4-7-8 breathing method communicates to your body that there is no lion (phew), and tells your body that you are safe. As a result, your nervous system goes into a parasympathetic state, also known as the “rest and digest” response. In this calmed state, our blood pressure lowers, and we digest and eliminate waste from our bodies more effectively. That’s why the 4-7-8 method is a perfect way to lull yourself to sleep. I swear, one second I will be in bed gabbing to my fiancé about how I’m not tired, and after three minutes of this breathwork I’ll be asleep.

If you take only one nugget away from this blog post, I hope it’s that meditation does not have to be a whole ordeal. You don’t need a fancy pillow, incense, or a quiet setting. All you need is yourself and positive intention. Sometimes whenever breathwork feels most inconvenient is when we need it the most.

XOXO,