--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Take deep breaths and hold them. Try to…" description: "\"“Take deep breaths and hold them. Try to stay still for longer and longer periods of time. Make yourself small and like a stone. Curl the edges of your..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/alice-sebold-999_time_take-deep-breaths-and-hold-them-try-to-s_1799798.jpg" --- # Take deep breaths and hold them. Try to stay still for… ![“Take deep breaths and hold them. Try to stay still for longer and longer periods of time. Make yourself small and like a stone. Curl the edges of yourself up and fold them under where no one else can see.” quote by Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/alice-sebold-999_time_take-deep-breaths-and-hold-them-try-to-s_1799798.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/alice-sebold-999_time_take-deep-breaths-and-hold-them-try-to-s_1799798.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/alice-sebold-999_time_take-deep-breaths-and-hold-them-try-to-s_1799798.jpg) > ““Take deep breaths and hold them. Try to stay still for longer and longer periods of time. Make yourself small and like a stone. Curl the edges of yourself up and fold them under where no one else can see.”” [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Calm, inward focus and shrinking oneself can protect the mind from external pressures. **In simple terms:** Quiet focus protects you. Key Takeaway Practice stillness to shield yourself. Themes mindfulness self‑protection inner peace Mood calm introspective Type advice self‑help When to use this quote - stressful work - public speaking - anxiety attacks - creative blocks Key Concepts psychology meditation self‑care Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance stillness with engagement? - When is it safe to become “small”? A Different Perspective Over‑withdrawal may lead to isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaths/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [She sat in her room on the couch my parents had given up on and worked on hardening herself. 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It's time to face the music!, now just relax.take some deep breaths (in through the nose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-g/first-stop-slinking-away-from-all-those-nagging-issues-it-s-time-to/) Jeremy G > [“Everyone always wants to know how you can tell when it's true love, and the answer is this: when the pain doesn't fade and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/everyone-always-wants-to-know-how-you-can-tell-when-it-s-true-love/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [I noticed every time I felt overwhelmed, I would hold my breath. I had to learn to stop, relax, and take long deep breaths,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gisele-bundchen/i-noticed-every-time-i-felt-overwhelmed-i-would-hold-my-breath-i-had/) [Gisele Bundchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gisele-bundchen/) > [Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/sometimes-the-most-important-thing-in-a-whole-day-is-the-rest-we-take/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [But I wasn't getting in my pace, staying within myself, I was getting a little rushed. So I think I finally took a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-osterman/but-i-wasn-t-getting-in-my-pace-staying-within-myself-i-was-getting-a/) [Cat Osterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-osterman/) > [“I don't know about you, but sometimes I need to remind myself to breathe. I have to close my eyes and concentrate, even force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/i-don-t-know-about-you-but-sometimes-i-need-to-remind-myself-to/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [“Taking a couple of deep breaths, he knew he had to choose his words carefully—in spite of the fact that his adrenal gland had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/taking-a-couple-of-deep-breaths-he-knew-he-had-to-choose-his-words/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/sometimes-the-most-important-thing-in-a-whole-day-is-the-rest-we-take-2/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [Our breath gets shallow and ineffective when we are in a stressed state. I advocate stopping whatever you're doing for a couple of minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-wagner/our-breath-gets-shallow-and-ineffective-when-we-are-in-a-stressed/) [Lindsay Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-wagner/) > [The early cars already are drawing deep breaths past my door. And last night's phrases sick with lack of basis are still writhing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/the-early-cars-already-are-drawing-deep-breaths-past-my-door-and-last/) [Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/) > [“Calm down. Deep breaths. Go to your happy place. Oh, wait. I don’t have one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kadrey/calm-down-deep-breaths-go-to-your-happy-place-oh-wait-i-don-t-have-one/) [Richard Kadrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kadrey/) > [“Here’s the simple practice: sit down at the table. Take a few deep breaths. Remind yourself that you work hard and do most things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-swami/here-s-the-simple-practice-sit-down-at-the-table-take-a-few-deep/) [Om Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-swami/) > [“When Bruce Bogtrotter had eaten his way through half of the entire enormous cake, he paused for just a couple of seconds and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-bruce-bogtrotter-had-eaten-his-way-through-half-of-the-entire/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## More by Alice Sebold > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I left my mark on that man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-left-my-mark-on-that-man/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [These things, she felt, were not to be passed around like disingenuous party favors. She kept an honor code with her journals and her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/these-things-she-felt-were-not-to-be-passed-around-like-disingenuous/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I don't think ignorance is a way that you gain distance on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-don-t-think-ignorance-is-a-way-that-you-gain-distance-on-something/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I was like I was in science class: I was curious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-was-like-i-was-in-science-class-i-was-curious/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“There are secret rooms inside us,” I had said to my therapist. “A relatively benign construct,” he said, and so I did not bother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/there-are-secret-rooms-inside-us-i-had-said-to-my-therapist-a/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“This is just a temporary hell, not a permanent one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/this-is-just-a-temporary-hell-not-a-permanent-one/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“And a soul would run by a living being, touch them softly on the shoulder or cheek, and continue on its way to heaven.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/and-a-soul-would-run-by-a-living-being-touch-them-softly-on-the/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [As if in the other side of his kiss there could ve a new life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/as-if-in-the-other-side-of-his-kiss-there-could-ve-a-new-life/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“My little brother's greatest fear was that the one person who meant so much to him would go away. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/ruth-hadn-t-talked-to-my-sister-since-before-my-death-and-then-it-was/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [Since then I've always thought that under rape in the dictionary it should tell the truth. It is not just forcible intercourse; rape means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/since-then-i-ve-always-thought-that-under-rape-in-the-dictionary-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I live in a world where two truths coexist: where both hell and hope lie in the palm of my hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-live-in-a-world-where-two-truths-coexist-where-both-hell-and-hope/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) [Explore all 302 Alice Sebold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) ## More Breaths quotes > [Don't let a breath escape from your body without Krishna's name. That should be our determination throughout our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhanath-swami/don-t-let-a-breath-escape-from-your-body-without-krishna-s-name-that/) [Radhanath Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhanath-swami/) > [Jazz is the music of the body. The breath comes through brass. It is the body's breath, and the strings' wails and moans are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/jazz-is-the-music-of-the-body-the-breath-comes-through-brass-it-is/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Many years ago I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realised, 'I am killing him - all for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/many-years-ago-i-was-fishing-and-as-i-was-reeling-in-the-poor-fish-i/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [God is greater than anything that man can do or has done. He is not undone by just a train of powder. "Our God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/god-is-greater-than-anything-that-man-can-do-or-has-done-he-is-not/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [One day I was running around playing with my son Connor when afterwards I was sweating, tired and out of breath. I was embarrassed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-carey/one-day-i-was-running-around-playing-with-my-son-connor-when/) [Drew Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-carey/) > [Dave Wann's recipes from his own experience in Simple Prosperity are a breath of fresh air, and just what we need for a saner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazel-henderson/dave-wann-s-recipes-from-his-own-experience-in-simple-prosperity-are/) [Hazel Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazel-henderson/) > [Poetry should be vital--either stirring our blood by its divine movements or snatching our breath by its divine perfection. To do both is supreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/poetry-should-be-vital-either-stirring-our-blood-by-its-divine/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [Tic Tacs are the maracas of breath mints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/tic-tacs-are-the-maracas-of-breath-mints/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [The river is motion, turmoil, rage. 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Follow Coleman Hawkins' improvised lines very carefully. He is using them to tell us something. Pay very close attention. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/listen-to-this-nimit-follow-coleman-hawkins-improvised-lines-very/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Every body resisted (the slaughterer) in its own fashion, tried to escape and seemed to argue with the Creator to its last breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/every-body-resisted-the-slaughterer-in-its-own-fashion-tried-to/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [We had a dog, Apples. He was 13 years old, toothless, blind and had the worst breath this side of Jabba the Hut. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/we-had-a-dog-apples-he-was-13-years-old-toothless-blind-and-had-the/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) [Browse all 1,609 Breaths quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaths/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Take deep breaths and hold them. Try to stay still for longer and longer periods of time. Make yourself small and like a stone. 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