Need to Calm Your Nerves or Sharpen Your Focus Quickly? Take a Two-minute Breather!

Are you feeling rushed or on the go? Are you feeling scattered or ungrounded? Are you simply needing a moment of peace? You may benefit from a two-minute breather if you answered “yes” to one or all of these questions.

Taking a Two-Minute Breather

What’s a two-minute breather? It’s a simple relaxation exercise that only takes, you guessed it, two minutes. If you were to go on Google and enter “two-minute breathing exercise,” you’d get many hits. That’s because there are a variety of ways to approach this. But all have one common goal: To help you feel more relaxed and focused quickly. Furthermore, studies have revealed added health benefits for anyone who makes breathing exercises routine, including decreased stress and improved decision-making in work settings.

Which two-minute exercise to consider is up to you, as specific approaches to calm and focus oneself will appeal to some but not others. And in an age where anyone can accomplish almost anything with a computing device of various sizes, breathing exercises seem more accessible than ever. For instance, I use a feature on my tracking watch to achieve this task. It’s an older-generation tracking device that continues to suit my needs despite not having all the bells and whistles of newer tracking watches and smartwatches.

When I need to pause and ground myself, I browse through the features of the tracking watch until I reach the one labeled “Relaxed.” When I tap Relaxed, I could choose the two-minute or five-minute relaxation-breathing exercise. They both aim to achieve the same goal. I select the two-minute option when I need to unwind and feel refreshed quickly. (Of course, the five-minute duration offers a little extra time to achieve an enhanced state of relaxation.)

The two-minute option begins with a message asking me to stay still as the device senses my body. It’s a step where the watch gauges my heart rate, which only takes several seconds. It also helps to initiate the process of becoming physically and mentally calm.

My watch then proceeds to a visual of a white dot against a dark background enlarging into a hollow circle and instructs me to inhale. The device gives off a quick vibration as the circle reaches a maximum diameter. The circle then starts to decrease in diameter with the instruction to exhale. As the circle returns to its original dot formation, there’s another quick vibration, and it proceeds to enlarge into a circle again. This sequence becomes the paced breathing cycle for the entirety of the task.

I could rely only on the vibrations as cues for when to inhale and exhale if I wanted to keep my eyes closed. Closing my eyes helps me tune out the outside world and be in tune with my breathing. This practice, in turn, further enhances the bodily calming effects of the exercise.

Different Ways to Take a Breather

You’re off to a good start if you’re already the owner of a tracking watch or smartwatch, as most wrist devices will likely have a relaxation application. But there is no need to feel left out if you do not possess a computing timepiece. You can always download a relaxation application (if it’s not already among your existing applications) onto your smartphone. Calm, for instance, is a popular sleep, meditation, and relaxation application that I have turned to when I want to do a breathing task that differs from the one on my tracking watch.

The one thing I do not want to suggest is the expectation to use a computing device to meet this goal. While several tracking watches and smartwatches include an application for the convenience of quickly initiating a relaxation task, one needs nothing more than a traditional watch, table or wall clock, or timer to engage in the same task. And while I spoke of the changing diameter of a circle and vibrations as cues for when to inhale and exhale, you do not require such aids. Some individuals, for instance, find it helpful (and soothing) to listen to the ticking sound of an analog clock. You also would achieve the same level of calm by simply closing your eyes and being in tune with your respiration patterns. Listening to my breathing is how I regularly engaged in this calming exercise before using a tracking watch. I will sometimes rely only on my respiration instead of the relaxation application on my watch to achieve a state of tranquility.

If attempting a breathing exercise on your own initially seems like a challenge, it may help to receive assistance. For instance, some individuals benefit from “guided” breathing exercises. If you’re one of them, YouTube offers many short, guided relaxation videos. Hearing instructions, usually from a person with a soothing voice, helps many people transcend into a relaxed state. But I also recommend learning to calm your mind and body without any device that has a relaxation application or YouTube. It will be helpful when you need to feel tranquil and attentive quickly and can do so independently. Consider people taking a college or licensing exam where devices are not allowed. If they are suddenly nervous about a difficult test question, a two-minute breather could help them relax and stay focused.

An Easy Exercise for Anyone

Of course, I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from using a computing device. And there is a convenience to using modern technology to help us become relaxed and attentive. I’m noting, however, the ease of engaging in a simple, calming exercise that would benefit anyone. In other words, you do not have to worry about rushing to your nearest retail store to purchase a specialized wrist device if you do not own one. Instead, use that moment to use whatever timing tool you can to unwind and breathe. It will indeed benefit your physical and mental well-being.

If you are eager to try a breathing exercise, here’s a handout from Berkely University Health Services that you can download and print. It notes the benefits of “breathing breaks” and lists several easy breathing exercises to do at your leisure anytime and anywhere.