19/12/2025
𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀
If you’re lying awake at 2am replaying deadlines, team issues, budgets, and then layering Christmas pressure on top, you are not the only one. My clients (high-achieving leaders, executives, and yes, many parents) are carrying more mental load right now than at any other point in the year.
But here’s the part most people forget: you are not powerless in these moments.
Your nervous system isn’t fixed. You can shift yourself from “fight or flight” into “rest and reset” in just 3–4 minutes — without leaving your office, your car, or your bed.
This is where breathwork becomes a game-changer.
Not the airy-fairy version you might picture… but simple, evidence-backed techniques that drop your heart rate, calm your mind, and give you back a sense of control. I did this myself after school drop-off this morning (parents, you’ll understand the chaos) and within minutes I felt clearer, steadier, and ready to lead my day instead of react to it.
𝗕𝗼𝘅 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝟰-𝟰-𝟰-𝟰)
Inhale 4 → Hold 4 → Exhale 4 → Hold 4 (repeat 2–3 rounds)
This activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the part responsible for rest, recovery, and clear thinking. Even better, you can do it silently in meetings, waiting rooms, or before a presentation.
Deep, slow breathing (around six breaths per minute) stimulates the vagus nerve, regulating heart rate and switching you out of “red brain” (fight/flight) into “green brain” (logical, strategic, calm).
𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸
Take 2-3 minutes for a walk outside if possible - slow your pace, match your inhalations to a certain number of steps (I like 4-5 step inhale, 4-5 steps exhale) and really try and focus on the moment, the feeling of your breath entering and leaving your body, and being present in what's around you (not dwelling on work/stress you're taking a break from!).
If you’re not using breathwork, you’re leaving one of the most effective performance tools on the table.
Take three minutes today. Your future self will thank you.