Breath, movement and focus: A somatic toolkit for corporate wellbeing champions
Most corporate wellbeing champions are handed posters, campaigns and maybe a mindfulness app.
Very few are given the one toolkit that quietly shapes every meeting, every email and every decision:
The way people breathe, move and focus in their bodies all day long.
This article lives inside Health and wellbeing in the corporate world: The Human Leader playbook and sits alongside Leading with nervous system awareness: Somatic skills for modern managers, Breathe, reset, reconnect: Short breathwork practices for work and Qi Gong in the boardroom: Ancient practice for modern resilience.
Here, we’ll give you simple, safe somatic tools you can use to support your colleagues’ nervous systems – even in busy, high-pressure environments.
A quick invitation before we dive in
If you are a wellbeing champion, HR partner or people lead who wants to go beyond posters and campaigns, you don’t have to design everything alone.
In The Human Leader Workshop, we help your leaders and champions experience these somatic tools in their own bodies, then practise weaving them into meetings, hybrid rhythms and difficult conversations – so wellbeing becomes something people can actually feel.
1. Why breath, movement and focus matter more than ever
Most wellbeing programmes still live from the neck up – information sessions, policies, e-learning.
But under chronic stress, the body is where the story plays out:
Breath becomes shallow and rushed.
Muscles tighten around shoulders, jaw and lower back.
Focus scatters between tabs, notifications and worries about the future.
Over time, this fuels:
Anxiety and irritability.
Exhaustion and “nothing left in the tank”.
More mistakes, conflict and quiet disengagement.
Across this Human Leader cluster – from The cost of disconnection: How loneliness and anxiety hit your bottom line to From burnout to balance: Tackling loneliness and disconnection at work – we keep returning to one truth:
If you want a healthier culture, you must take care of people’s nervous systems, not just their calendars.
That’s where breath, movement and focus come in. They’re three levers every wellbeing champion can use.
2. Pillar one – Breath: quick resets for busy days
You don’t need long meditations to change someone’s state. A few guided breaths can make a real difference.
2.1 The 4–6 arrival breath (60–90 seconds)
Perfect for: starting meetings, settling nerves before a presentation.
How to guide it:
Invite people to sit comfortably, feet on the floor if possible.
Say: “Let’s take three slow breaths together to arrive.”
Guide them:
“In through the nose for 4…
Out through the mouth for 6…”
Repeat for 5–8 cycles.
You’ll find more variations and scripts in Breathe, reset, reconnect: Short breathwork practices for work.
What it helps with:
Calms the “fight or flight” response.
Brings people into the present moment.
Creates a shared sense of “we’re here together” before you dive into content.
2.2 Box breathing for pressure moments (2–3 minutes)
Perfect for: pre-interview nerves, difficult conversations, performance reviews.
How to guide it:
Ask the person if they’d like a short breath exercise to steady themselves.
Invite them to imagine a square.
Guide:
Breathe in for 4 (up the side of the square).
Hold for 4 (along the top).
Breathe out for 4 (down the other side).
Hold for 4 (along the bottom).
Repeat 4–6 times, then return to natural breathing.
As a wellbeing champion, you don’t need to “fix” anyone’s emotions. You’re simply offering a safe scaffold for their nervous system to settle – which fits beautifully with the leadership work in Leading with nervous system awareness: Somatic skills for modern managers.
3. Pillar two – Movement: letting tension move, not just store
Stress builds up in muscles. When people sit still all day, tension has nowhere to go.
Micro-movements inspired by Qi Gong and gentle somatic work can change that.
You’ll find fuller sequences in Qi Gong in the boardroom: Ancient practice for modern resilience – here are a few you can safely offer in most workplaces.
3.1 Shoulder roll reset (60 seconds)
Perfect for: mid-meeting slump, post-email tension.
How to guide:
Invite people to sit or stand tall, feet grounded.
Inhale and gently lift shoulders towards ears.
Exhale and roll shoulders back and down, as if letting stress slide off.
Repeat 5–8 times.
You can pair this with a slow exhale from Breathe, reset, reconnect: Short breathwork practices for work.
Benefits:
Releases trapped tension in neck and shoulders.
Reminds people they have a body, not just a brain on a stick.
Softens the overall “hum” of stress in the room.
3.2 Hand shake-out and soft bounce (90 seconds)
Perfect for: long workshops, away days, after heavy sessions.
How to guide:
Ask people to stand if they’re comfortable.
Invite them to shake their hands and wrists gently, as if flicking off water.
Let that movement travel up the arms.
Add a soft bend in knees, a gentle bounce through legs and hips.
Keep breathing naturally.
Ease back to stillness and notice sensations.
This is a simple, office-friendly relative of what we explore in Qi Gong in the boardroom: Ancient practice for modern resilience.
Benefits:
Helps discharge “stuck” adrenaline.
Increases circulation and warmth.
Often brings a bit of laughter, which connects people.
Help your champions feel before they teach
It’s much easier to share these tools when you’ve experienced them yourself.
In The Human Leader Workshop, we guide HR, wellbeing champions and managers through breath and movement practices in real time – then show them how to translate that experience into safe, inclusive moments in their own teams.
4. Pillar three – Focus: simple ways to steady scattered minds
In noisy, hybrid working lives, focus is constantly under attack. Somatic focus tools help people gather themselves without needing perfect conditions.
4.1 The 30-second body scan
Perfect for: in-between tasks, before important calls.
How to guide:
Invite people to close their eyes or lower their gaze.
Say:
“Notice your feet on the floor.”
“Notice the weight of your body on the chair.”
“Notice your shoulders, jaw and eyes – is there one place you can soften?”
Pause for a few breaths.
This aligns beautifully with the nervous-system literacy in Leading with nervous system awareness: Somatic skills for modern managers.
4.2 Single-point focus with breath (1–2 minutes)
Perfect for: scattered teams at the start of a workshop or training.
How to guide:
Ask people to pick one point in front of them – a spot on the wall or their screen.
Invite them to rest their gaze there gently.
Guide a slow inhale and exhale (for example, the 4–6 pattern).
Say: “Each time your attention wanders, just notice it and bring it back to this point and your breath.”
Benefits:
Trains the “attention muscle”.
Gives minds a rest from multitasking.
Prepares people for deeper work, linking into the environment design in Designing workplaces for wellbeing: Spaces that support focus and connection.
5. How to introduce somatic tools safely and inclusively
As a wellbeing champion, you’re working with diverse bodies, histories and comfort levels. A few simple principles keep things safe.
5.1 Always offer, never impose
Use phrases like:
“If you’d like to join in, we’re going to try a short breath exercise.”
“You’re welcome to keep your camera off or do a seated version.”
This respects autonomy and avoids triggering people who find body-based work uncomfortable.
5.2 Keep it secular and practical
Even if you love the spiritual side of breath and movement, at work it’s often best to frame things in simple, everyday language:
“This can help your nervous system settle after a busy morning.”
“Let’s give our brains and bodies a little reset.”
If people want to go deeper, you can signpost them to resources like Qi Gong in the boardroom: Ancient practice for modern resilience in a wellbeing context.
5.3 Stay within your role
You’re not acting as a therapist or clinician.
So:
Don’t diagnose or promise cures.
Make it clear this is supportive, not a replacement for medical care.
If someone is clearly struggling, signpost to your EAP or internal support, and connect with your HR / H&S teams who are working with From policy to practice: Bringing ISO 45003 to life in your culture.
6. Weaving the toolkit into everyday work
These tools have the most impact when they’re small, regular and predictable.
You can combine them with ideas from Micro rituals for human connection: Daily practices for hybrid teams and Hybrid teams without burnout: Designing sustainable work rhythms.
Here are a few starting points:
Meetings
Begin with three shared breaths and a quick body softening.
Add a 60-second reset after heavy agenda items.
Workshops and away days
Use movement breaks every 60–90 minutes.
Open and close with simple focus practices.
Campaigns and wellbeing weeks
Build daily micro-practices into your comms.
Offer short live “reset sessions” on video, using the tools above.
Track what you try using the guidance in Measuring what matters: Proving the ROI of wellbeing programmes so you can show leaders that somatic tools are not just “nice extras” – they support focus, mood and performance.
FAQs: Somatic toolkit for corporate wellbeing champions
1. Do I need a background in yoga or Qi Gong to lead these practices?
No. The tools in this article are simple, low-intensity and designed for everyday settings. Start with short breath and grounding exercises, and use Breathe, reset, reconnect: Short breathwork practices for work and Leading with nervous system awareness: Somatic skills for modern managers as your guides.
2. What if people feel awkward or resistant?
Normalise that! You can say, “This might feel a bit unusual at first – take part in a way that feels comfortable, or simply sit quietly while others do it.” Over time, as people notice benefits, resistance usually softens.
3. Are these practices safe for everyone?
They are generally gentle and safe. Still, always offer choice, invite people to adapt movements or stay still, and remind them they can stop at any time. For anyone with medical concerns, encourage them to follow their clinician’s advice. You’re offering supportive options, not prescriptions.
4. How do these tools fit with our wider wellbeing and ISO 45003 work?
Breath, movement and focus practices help people cope better day-to-day, and they support culture shifts you’re making through From policy to practice: Bringing ISO 45003 to life in your culture and Wellbeing as a business strategy: Embedding health into leadership. They don’t replace structural change, but they make it easier for people to stay steady while change unfolds.
5. How can I train other champions in this toolkit?
Start by sharing this article and its companion pieces, especially Leading with nervous system awareness: Somatic skills for modern managers and Qi Gong in the boardroom: Ancient practice for modern resilience. Then host short practice sessions where you try the exercises together, reflect on what helps, and decide how to adapt them for your culture.
Related articles in this series
You may also enjoy:
Leading with nervous system awareness: Somatic skills for modern managers
Breathe, reset, reconnect: Short breathwork practices for work
Qi Gong in the boardroom: Ancient practice for modern resilience
Micro rituals for human connection: Daily practices for hybrid teams
Breath, movement and focus: A somatic toolkit for corporate wellbeing champions
Let the body be part of your wellbeing strategy
As a wellbeing champion, you sit at a powerful crossroads.
You see:
The stress people carry in their bodies.
The way hybrid and high-pressure work fray nerves.
The hunger for something more than another slide deck about resilience.
Breath, movement and focus give you a kind, practical way to meet that need – one short reset, one gentle micro-practice at a time.
If you’d like support bringing this somatic toolkit to life in your organisation – and combining it with psychological safety, hybrid design and Human Leadership – I’d be honoured to help through The Human Leader Workshop.
I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)
