How do I use the breathing exercises?
Open Mental Health Center, tap Breathe, choose a way to breathe, and tap Begin.
Steps
- Open Wellness, then the Mind & Mental Health group, then Mental Health Center. On the Tools tab, under Practice, tap Breathe.
- Choose Box Breathing, 4-7-8 Breathing, Wim Hof Method, Cardiac Coherence or 4-4-6-2 Relaxation. Read the caution shown for the one you choose, if it has one.
- If you want, tap a face to note how you feel before you start.
- Tap Begin and the name of the technique. Read the safety note, then tap Start Breathing.
- Follow the Inhale, Hold and Exhale words. Tap Pause or Finish when you need to.
- At the end, tap Save Session, or tap Discard.
Safety notes in the app
Some techniques have breath holds. The app warns that holds can cause lightheadedness, and to stop if you feel dizzy. It also says to check with your clinician first if you are pregnant or have a heart condition.
The Wim Hof Method has stronger cautions, including never doing it in or near water or while driving. The Start Breathing button stays off until you tick a box that says you have read them.
Without an account
SOS Mode has Breathing Exercises: the Physiological Sigh, Box Breathing and 4-7-8. It works without an account, and the crisis lines stay at the top.
When you are signed in, finishing a tool in SOS Mode and saying how you feel is saved to your breathing log.
What happens next
Saved sessions add to your breathing history, with your minutes and the days in a row you practiced.