Mexico City has a sound that never fully turns off. It’s buses, street vendors, a neighbor’s drill at the worst time, and my own phone lighting up with Slack pings. As a founder, I can be calm at 9:00 a.m. and feel wired by 9:07.
I also have this steady daydream of living in Spain, waking up to quieter streets and a slower pace. But right now, my reality is fast calls, product decisions, and the kind of stress that makes your chest feel “too small.”
When I need something simple, I use stress relief breathing 4-7-8. No apps, no gear, no perfect setting. It’s a paced breathing pattern: inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. It’s not magic, it’s a tool. It works best for busy founders, investors, and technical leads who need a quick state change without losing momentum.
What 4-7-8 breathing does to stress in plain English
When stress hits, my body acts like there’s a real threat. Heart rate bumps up, thoughts race, and my attention narrows. That “fight-or-flight” mode is useful in emergencies, but it’s a terrible default state for writing specs, reviewing PRs, or walking into an investor call.
Slow breathing sends a simple signal: “I’m safe enough to slow down.” I’m not making medical claims here, just describing what it feels like in practice. When I lengthen my breath, especially the exhale, my body stops acting like I need to sprint.
A big part of why it works for me is pacing and tolerance. Most of us over-breathe when we’re anxious. We take bigger, faster breaths than we need, and we get sensitive to normal carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. Over time, that can make “slightly air-hungry” sensations feel scary. With 4-7-8, the rhythm is slower, and the longer exhale nudges me toward calmer breathing mechanics.
The key is how it should feel: gentle effort, not strain. If I’m forcing it, I’m doing it wrong. The counts are a guide, not a test.
Founders have extra “wired” triggers that stack up:
- Slack, email, and calendar alerts that never end
- Pitch pressure, board updates, and the feeling of being judged
- Caffeine as a substitute for sleep (I’ve been there)
If you want a broader set of tools that fit founder life, I keep related notes on Andy Nadal’s blog on entrepreneurship and stress relief.
Why the long exhale is the secret part
I treat the exhale like the release valve. A longer exhale often helps the body relax, even if nothing else changes. It’s also easier to focus on than “be calm,” which is not an actionable instruction.
Counting gives my mind a small, boring job. That’s the point. My brain can’t spiral about runway and also count cleanly at the same time.
The breath hold can feel intense at first. That’s normal. I keep it soft, and I never clamp down like I’m trying to win something. With a gentle hold, the pattern feels controlled instead of stressful.
Who should be careful before trying it
This is a simple technique, but I still treat it with respect.
- Stop if you feel dizzy. Sit down first, and don’t push through.
- Don’t strain your breath hold or force huge inhales.
- Start seated, not standing or walking.
Use extra caution, or ask a clinician if you’re unsure, if any of these apply:
- Pregnancy
- Low blood pressure or a history of fainting
- Panic disorder where breath holds can be a trigger
- Lung or heart conditions
I keep it practical: if my body says “no,” I listen and switch to easier breathing.
How I do the 4-7-8 technique step by step
I use this at my desk, in a taxi, or in the five minutes between meetings when I’m tempted to scroll instead of reset. I don’t need silence. I just need a steady count.
Here’s the setup that works for me:
- I sit with my back supported, feet flat, and hands resting on my thighs.
- I drop my shoulders and loosen my jaw (I almost always catch myself clenching).
- I place the tip of my tongue lightly on the ridge behind my upper front teeth.
- I inhale through my nose quietly (I avoid big “gulp” breaths).
- I exhale through my mouth softly, like a controlled sigh.
Then I run the counts. The first round is usually the hardest because my body is still in “go” mode. By round two, things start to smooth out.
I also keep the goal small: I’m not trying to become a monk. I’m trying to show up to the next task without carrying extra noise in my body.
The classic 4-7-8 pattern (one full round)
This is one round, exactly as I do it:
- Exhale fully first (empty the lungs without collapsing your chest).
- Inhale through the nose for 4.
- Hold the breath gently for 7.
- Exhale through the mouth for 8 (slow and steady).
- Repeat.
I start with 4 rounds. If I’m new to it, or if I’m already stressed, I keep it there. Over days, I might build up slowly, but I don’t chase big numbers.
Two reminders that matter more than people think:
- Keep the shoulders relaxed the entire time.
- Keep the breath quiet. Loud breathing often means I’m forcing it.
If the breath hold feels tough, use this easier ramp
Some days, 7 and 8 counts feel long, especially if I’ve had too much coffee or I’m coming off a tense call. On those days, I use a ramp instead of quitting.
Two patterns that feel easier:
- 3-5-6 (inhale 3, hold 5, exhale 6)
- 4-4-6 (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 6)
Consistency matters more than perfect counts. If I can do a lighter version daily, I get more benefit than forcing the “classic” version once and hating it.
A few strain-reducers that help immediately:
- Make the hold softer, more like a pause than a lock.
- Inhale lighter, like you’re filling only 70 percent.
- Slow the exhale with a small mouth opening, so it doesn’t rush out.
Make it work in real founder life, before pitches, after conflict, and at night
Breathing drills fail when they require a perfect environment. I don’t have that. I have open offices, travel days, and late-night debugging. So I attach 4-7-8 to moments that already happen.
I use a simple habit loop:
- Trigger: a clear moment like “calendar reminder popped up” or “I just sent a tense message.”
- Routine: 2 to 4 rounds of 4-7-8 (or the easier ramp).
- Reward: I notice one measurable change, like a lower jaw tension or slower typing.
This isn’t about being zen. It’s about control. When my nervous system is calmer, I write better, I listen better, and I make fewer reactive calls.
Here are the three use cases I return to:
- 60 seconds before a call: quick reset so I don’t join already tense.
- 2 minutes after conflict: drain the spike before it turns into a bad decision.
- Bedtime wind-down: lower the volume when my mind wants to replay the day.
My quick reset before investor calls and high-stakes meetings
Two minutes is enough for me to change the tone of my voice and my pacing. That matters on calls. People can hear stress.
My protocol is simple:
- Sit, feet grounded, eyes soft (not locked on the screen).
- Do 2 rounds first.
- If my chest still feels tight, do 2 more.
Then I pair it with one short note in my notebook: “one outcome, one next step.” That line reduces mental noise fast. It keeps me from trying to solve ten problems in a single meeting. The breath calms the body, the note calms the plan.
Using 4-7-8 breathing to fall asleep when my mind is racing
Some nights in Mexico City, the city is loud and my head is louder. I’m tired, but my brain keeps opening tabs.
In bed, I make it easier:
- Lights low
- Phone out of reach
- Breath soft, not dramatic
I don’t force the hold. If the hold wakes me up or spikes anxiety, I switch to a simpler pattern: slow inhale, even slower exhale, no holds. The goal is sleep, not perfect form.
Also, I give it a few nights. One session won’t erase months of stress habits. But it can start a new pattern, and that’s enough to matter.
Mistakes I made at first, and how to fix them fast
I messed this up in the beginning because I treated it like a performance metric. That’s a founder reflex: measure, push, optimize. Breathing doesn’t respond well to that attitude.
Here are the mistakes I made, plus the fastest fixes:
- Breathing too big: I took huge inhales and felt lightheaded. Fix: inhale smaller and quieter.
- Rushing the counts: I sped up to “get it done.” Fix: count slower than you think you should.
- Tensing jaw and shoulders: I turned it into a stress pose. Fix: drop shoulders first, then start.
- Doing too many rounds: I chased the calm and got dizzy. Fix: stop at 4 rounds and reassess.
- Trying it while standing: I felt unstable fast. Fix: sit down, feet flat.
- Expecting instant calm: I got annoyed when stress didn’t vanish. Fix: look for a 10 percent shift, not a full reset.
Breathing is like rate-limiting in a system. You’re not changing the entire architecture in one deploy. You’re reducing load so the system stops thrashing.
Signs I’m overdoing it (and what I do instead)
When I push too hard, my body tells me quickly. The signs, for me, are:
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Tingling in hands or face
- Chest tightness
- Feeling more panicky, not less
When that happens, I stop. My backup plan is boring and safe:
- Return to normal breathing for 30 to 60 seconds
- Do longer exhales only (inhale normal, exhale slow)
- Sip water
- Take a short walk, even just to the kitchen and back
If symptoms are severe, scary, or keep happening, I treat that as a reason to talk to a clinician. No breathing technique is worth ignoring real warning signs.
Conclusion
When work gets loud, I go back to 4-7-8 breathing because it’s simple and it fits my day. I use it in Mexico City traffic, between calls, and on travel days when I’m thinking about Spain and a calmer pace.
My one-line version is: exhale, inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8, repeat gently. Try it once today, then note what changed (even if it’s small). Save the steps somewhere easy, and if you work with a stressed teammate, share it with them.