Quick Breathing Exercises to Calm Down: 4-4-6-2 Breathing Feeling overwhelmed? Use this powerful 4-4-6-2 breathing technique for immediate stress relief and mental clarity! This guided exercise is perfect for quickly shifting your nervous system out of "fight or flight" mode. It is a modification of Box Breathing that uses a slightly longer exhale (6 seconds) to efficiently activate the Vagus Nerve and your parasympathetic nervous system (your body's "rest and digest" mode). The 4-4-6-2 Pattern: