Traffic deadlocked, phones pinging, deadlines looming – any given workday in Cyprus can feel like a marathon you didn’t sign up for!

Add in the midday heat (especially during our endless summers!), the queue at the Citizens’ Service Centre and the driver who just changed lane without signalling… and your nervous system ends up on permanent alert.

This island isn’t great at switching off. Cyprus ranks high for long working hours. Our sleep patterns aren’t great – a recent feature showed that more and more islanders are struggling with insomnia and restless nights. And our stress levels are rising – parts of the island rank among the angriest and most frustrated in the world!

This is where the 4-7-8 comes in.

A game-changing breathing pattern, it’s deceptively simple: inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold for seven, exhale slowly through the mouth for eight. Just a few cycles can flip your system from frantic to calm.

When you breathe like this, you’re cueing your parasympathetic nervous system – the body’s built-in brake pedal – to slow the heart, ease muscle tension and calm the stress response.

One clinical trial found people who used 4-7-8 breathing had significantly lower anxiety than those relying on standard deep breathing. Another study showed paced breathing improves heart-rate variability and helps regulate blood pressure.

So, later today, when traffic snarls on Makariou, or your inbox goes wild, or the in-laws all descend for an unexpected family gathering, take a moment…

Nobody’s asking you to master meditation or become a yogi to achieve inner peace – sometimes all it takes is the right kind of breath.

Find somewhere quiet (if you’re at home, run off to the loo to escape the family!). And then drop your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and run between one and three slow cycles of 4-7-8. (Or, if it’s easier, try a 4-6 breathing pattern – in for four, out for six. As long as the exhale is longer than the inhale, you’ll be calming that nervous system!)

It takes less than a minute, but the effect can be profound – clearer head, steadier pulse, easier evening. And done with intention, it’s a powerful little reset.

Because feeling good in Cyprus isn’t about avoiding stress – it’s about learning when to step out of the rush, fill your lungs and quietly reclaim calm.