Using Your Watch to Practice Deep Breathing

There are tons of breathing and meditation apps available online (we’ve covered a few of them before if you want some suggestions!). If you’re running out of space, unsure which one is best for you, or just want something that’s convenient, finding a tool to help guide you with your breathing to help you get or stay calm may be easier to find than you think.

If you have any type of smartwatch, chances are, there’s some sort of app or guide you can use that’s already on there to help you. The Apple Watch has an animation you can follow and a section on the Apple Watch app on the iPhone that you can use to set reminders, goals, and durations. Those with Android watches (or any watch that has Google software like Fossil watches) can use the Fit Breathe app on their device – there’s a corresponding Google Fit app you can also get to help keep track of it. With it, you can keep your eyes closed, and your watch will vibrate to tell you when to inhale, hold, or exhale. Fitbits have a Relax app with two or five minute long sessions to help you practice deep breathing too.

You don’t need a smartwatch to be able to practice deep breathing at anytime though. You can use any kind of watch to time yourself taking breaths (make sure you can see the second hand though – holding your breath for minutes at a time isn’t really relaxing). One such way is through the 4-7-8 breathing method. It’s pretty simple: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, then slowly release for 8 seconds.

Watches have become so much more than simply telling time. Ironically, having watches and always knowing what time it is can have us spending time thinking about how little time we have to do things and may make us stress and worry about how we need to be on top of things and meet deadlines. It doesn’t help that smartwatches can constantly buzz with notifications and overwhelm us with not answering and responding to things right away. But even though time can feel daunting and nerve-wracking, using some of those minutes to try deep breathing can make the biggest difference.

Do you own a smartwatch? What suggestions do you have to practice deep breathing? Do they require technology?