In 60 seconds, you'll have the life hack to falling asleep fast.

The breathing technique was discovered by Dr. Andrew Weil (based on the ancient yoga practice of pranayama).

First, why it works:

“It works by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for our rest and digest mode, while switching off the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers our stress response (or fight or flight mode).”

—Hannah Coates, Vogue

SUPERHUMAN SCORING

In every edition of All Systems Go, I assess the featured system across four superhuman dimensions: impact, setup, maintenance, and aesthetics.

Unlike your typical product review, I focus on factors that influence personal growth. Get to know the evaluation system.

Impact (9.5/10)

Do you ever struggle with turning off your mental machinery?

Me too.

As a consultant, it can be challenging to switch from problem-solving all day to relaxing at night.

4-7-8 Method is an incredible tool to take off the workday edge (in a healthy way).

Setup (9.5/10)

Here's how to do 4-7-8 breathing:

1. Breathe in through your nose for a 4-second count.
2. Hold your breath for a 7-second count.
3. Exhale for an 8-second count, making a “whoosh” sound through pursed lips.
4. Repeat up to four times, twice per day.

Simple, but powerful advice.

See how it's done—directly from Dr. Weil—in this video:

Maintenance (8.5/10)

Doing 4-7-8 breathing before you fall asleep is just one use case.

You can use 4-7-8 at any time to alleviate stress.

In fact, Dr. Weil recommends practicing the technique twice daily to hone the skill (and see long-lasting benefits).

Aesthetics (8.0/10)

The only downside of 4-7-8 breathing?

Breathing air out audibly and forcefully for the 8-second exhalation (as recommended) may distract others.

But it's a minor inconvenience—considering you can complete the four cycles of 4-7-8 in less than 1.5 mins.

BRINGING IT HOME

That's it—the 4-7-8 breathing technique for a zen-like mind.

Dr. Weil describes it as “a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.”

All systems go,

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Resources

• Newsletter Archive: Read past issues of All Systems Go
• Energy Dashboard: Get an under-the-hood look at my self-tracking metrics for energy management (updated weekly)
• [Quick Win] Phone Charger Challenge: Save 60 hours every year with this simple morning hack