Box breathing
Inhale, hold, exhale, hold, each for a count of four, repeated for a few minutes
Breathe in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold empty for four. Repeat. That is the whole technique. Slowing the breath to an even square brings heart rate down and takes the edge off alarm, so it shows up in military training and meditation apps alike. One round takes sixteen seconds and needs nothing, which is why people run it in the car, backstage or between sets.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Chris HemsworthDoes it
Actor · Limitless and Centr
Dr. Modupe Akinola taught him the four-count pattern before he stepped out onto a crane 900 feet up for Limitless, and he says how well it gathered him in that moment surprised him. He calls it a really useful tool for intense feelings when the pressure is on.
Source: Centr: Train your mind with Chris Hemsworth's favorite meditations“This is a technique that Dr. Modupe Akinola taught me when I was preparing to step out onto a crane 900 feet in the air for Limitless … the power of this simple breathing technique to help gather yourself in high-stress situations really surprised me.”
Centr: Train your mind with Chris Hemsworth's favorite meditations (opens in a new tab) · 18 Apr 2023
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under stress or focus.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 19 do it, 6 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR)
10-20 minute guided body-scan rest, sometimes called yoga nidra
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Physiological sigh
Two inhales through the nose, one long exhale; heart rate drops within seconds
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Shipping creative work
Publishing on a schedule rather than waiting for the work to feel ready
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Transcendental Meditation
Silent mantra repetition, about 20 minutes twice a day, taught in a paid course
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Vision setting
Write down a specific picture of who you are becoming, then filter decisions through it
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.