A little, for focus; not as a treatment for ADHD, and the book’s FAQ is careful to say so. Brief slow breathing improved working memory and sustained attention in small trials of adults without ADHD. For an ADHD mind the useful version is short and attached to a cue: three long exhales before the task, eyes far, then start. Not ten minutes on a cushion, which is the format least likely to happen.
The steps
- Attach it to the start of a task, not to a timer: before opening the document, three exhales.
- Eyes to the farthest point, then back to the page.
- Four in, eight out, three times. Done. Start.
- When attention drifts, one long exhale and back, without a verdict.
- Micro-recovery once an hour, which is also a movement break.
- At night: the in-bed sequence, because sleep is most of focus.
When not to, and when to get help instead
ADHD is treated by clinicians with medication and behavioral strategies that have strong evidence; breathing sits alongside, not instead. If you suspect ADHD and are not diagnosed, that is an assessment, not a breathing practice.
What the research says
One session of slow-paced breathing improved working memory in 139 students; eight weeks of daily diaphragmatic breathing improved sustained attention and lowered cortisol in 40 adults; two minutes of long-exhale breathing improved decision accuracy in 56. The book’s FAQ reviews the trials of mindfulness-and-breathing programs for children with ADHD: modest help with attention for some kids, about as much as a group CBT program in the largest trial, and no added benefit on top of intensive behavioral treatment in another. That is the honest size of it.
Other methods people use
Movement breaks, which have better ADHD evidence than stillness. Body doubling. Externalized lists. Sleep. Medication where prescribed. The three exhales are a door into the task, not the task.
Questions people also ask
Is meditation good for ADHD?
Mindfulness programs show modest effects in trials, with the usual problem that the format (long, still, daily) is hard for an ADHD mind to keep. Short, cued breathing is more likely to actually happen.
How long should a breathing exercise be for someone with ADHD?
Three breaths. Attached to something you already do. Length is the enemy of consistency.
In the book
Techniques
Rooms
Two rules, no exceptions
Never practice any technique on this site while you are driving, operating machinery, or doing anything that needs your full attention. The slow ones can make you drowsy, faster than you’d expect. And never practice a breath-hold, bellows breath, or any vigorous breathing in or near water. Read Before you begin for the doctor’s list and the rest.
More in “Life”
- Is there a breathing practice for grief?
- What breathing helps new parents at 3 a.m. with a crying baby?
- How do I breathe through money stress and bad financial news?
- How do I teach a child to calm down with breathing?
Written by Eric Bradley. Last reviewed October 2026. One performer’s craft, offered for general information; not medical advice, mental health treatment, or a substitute for care.