19/12/2025
๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐
If youโre 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 hereโs the part most people forget: you are not powerless in these moments.
Your nervous system isnโt fixed. You can shift yourself from โfight or flightโ into โrest and resetโ in just 3โ4 minutes โ without leaving your office, your car, or your bed.
This is where breathwork becomes a game-changer.
Not the airy-fairy version you might pictureโฆ 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, youโll understand the chaos) and within minutes I felt clearer, steadier, and ready to lead my day instead of react to it.
๐๐ผ๐
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด (๐ฐ-๐ฐ-๐ฐ-๐ฐ)
Inhale 4 โ Hold 4 โ Exhale 4 โ Hold 4 (repeat 2โ3 rounds)
This activates the parasympathetic nervous system โ 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 โred brainโ (fight/flight) into โgreen brainโ (logical, strategic, calm).
๐ข๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ
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 youโre not using breathwork, youโre leaving one of the most effective performance tools on the table.
Take three minutes today. Your future self will thank you.