Breathe, reset, reconnect: Short breathwork practices for work

Most people know they “should” take a deep breath when stressed – but very few know how to breathe in a way that genuinely calms the nervous system, clears the mind and supports focus at work.

The science is catching up with what ancient practices like Qi Gong and pranayama have said for centuries: slow, deliberate breathing can reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood and boost cognitive performance by shifting the body out of fight-or-flight and into a more balanced state. Studies on slow breathing and HRV (heart-rate variability) show improved emotional regulation, reduced anxiety and better stress resilience when people practise regularly, even in short bouts.

This article is part of the Health and wellbeing in the corporate world: The Human Leader playbook and focuses on one practical question:

How can leaders and teams use simple breathwork practices during the working day to reset, refocus and reconnect – without anything feeling “woo-woo” or awkward?

A quick invitation before we dive in

If your teams are tired, tense and living in back-to-back calls, they do not need more theory – they need experiences of nervous-system calm.

In The Human Leader Workshop we teach leaders short, evidence-informed breathing practices they can use in real meetings and difficult conversations, alongside psychological safety tools and hybrid habits that support lasting change.

1. Why breathwork belongs in modern workplaces

Breathing is one of the fastest ways to influence the autonomic nervous system. Unlike heart rate or digestion, breath is both automatic and controllable – which makes it a powerful lever for state change.

Research into slow and paced breathing has found that:

• Breathing at around 5–6 breaths per minute (slower than the typical 12–20 breaths per minute) can increase HRV and support better emotional regulation.

• Short bouts of controlled breathing can reduce self-reported anxiety and stress, and improve mood in both clinical and non-clinical populations.

• Even brief daily practice (a few minutes) can lead to measurable benefits over several weeks.

At work, that matters because:

• Leaders often need to shift state quickly – from firefighting to strategic thinking, from giving tough feedback to listening deeply.

• Teams in hybrid settings can spend hours in shallow, chesty breathing at screens, which feeds into fatigue, irritability and decision fatigue.

• Many employees feel overwhelmed; giving them a simple, socially acceptable tool is a low-cost, high-impact intervention.

Breathwork is also an integral part of Qi Gong, which we explore more in Qi Gong in the boardroom: Ancient practice for modern resilience and Breath, movement and focus: A somatic toolkit for corporate wellbeing champions.

2. Principles of workplace-friendly breathwork

Before we jump into specific practices, a few principles help:

1. Keep it simple and gentle
   Avoid anything complex or forceful. We focus on slow, comfortable breathing through the nose where possible, with slightly longer exhales to signal “safe” to the body.

2. Normalise it as a performance tool, not a therapy session
   You can frame breathwork as an energy and focus reset – like stretching before exercise – which often lands better in corporate contexts.

3. Make it short and regular
   Two or three minutes, done consistently, is more powerful than twenty minutes once in a blue moon.

4. Invite, don’t impose
   Offer practices as invitations: “You’re welcome to join me for a couple of centring breaths”, never as compulsory.

For a bigger leadership frame around this, you can revisit Wellbeing as a business strategy: Embedding health into leadership and Leading with nervous system awareness: Somatic skills for modern managers.

3. Three core breathwork practices for the working day

You can think of these as your core toolkit: one for calming, one for resetting focus, and one for reconnecting before team moments.

3.1 The Calm Down Breath (4–6 breathing)

Best for: pre-meeting nerves, difficult conversations, “I feel wired”.

How to do it (2–3 minutes):

1. Sit or stand with your feet on the floor.

2. Inhale gently through your nose for a count of 4.

3. Exhale softly through your mouth for a count of 6 (as if you’re slowly fogging a window).

4. Repeat for 10–15 breaths.

Why it works:

• The slightly longer exhale activates the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) branch of the nervous system.

• This style of breathing is aligned with research showing slower breathing with extended exhalation can increase HRV and reduce anxiety.

How to introduce it:

• “Before we start, let’s take 90 seconds for a couple of centring breaths – in for four, out for six. You can join with your camera on or off.”

We use this pattern extensively in The Human Leader Workshop and in the leadership-focused guide Trust as your competitive edge: The science of psychological safety, because calmer leaders build safer teams.

3.2 The Focus Reset Breath (box breathing lite)

Best for: between back-to-back calls, when attention is scattered.

How to do it (2 minutes):

1. Breathe in through the nose for 4.

2. Hold the breath gently for 4 (no strain).

3. Breathe out through the nose for 4.

4. Rest with empty lungs for 4, or just pause comfortably.

5. Repeat this “box” 6–8 times.

Why it works:

• The even rhythm helps steady the mind and nervous system.

• The light breath-hold can sharpen focus and interrupt rumination for many people, if kept gentle and comfortable.

You can frame it as:

• “I’m going to take a couple of minutes to reset my focus with a four-by-four breath. You’re welcome to join me if you like.”

We pair this with rhythm design in Hybrid teams without burnout: Designing sustainable work rhythms so teams have micro-resets baked into their day.

3.3 The Team Connect Breath (shared arrival)

Best for: start of team meetings, retros, sensitive conversations.

This is less about technique and more about shared presence.

How to do it (1–2 minutes):

1. Invite everyone to sit comfortably and, if they wish, soften their gaze or look away from the screen.

2. Say: “Let’s take three slow breaths together to arrive in the room.”

3. Count a gentle rhythm:

   • “In… two, three, four… out… two, three, four, five, six.”

4. After three breaths, pause and ask: “On a scale of 1–5, how present do you feel right now?” and invite people to share a number in the chat or aloud.

Why it works:

• Creates a micro-ritual of arrival that marks this time as different from the rush before.

• Signals that the emotional climate matters.

• Begins to build what we talk about in Rehumanising the workplace for hybrid teams and Psychological safety in meetings: From silent screens to real dialogue.

4. Integrating breathwork into leadership, not just “wellbeing moments”

If breathwork only appears in special “wellbeing sessions”, it risks staying at the edges of culture. To make it part of how you lead, weave it into three areas:

4.1 One-to-ones and difficult conversations

Before going into a challenging one-to-one:

• Take 60–90 seconds of Calm Down Breath yourself.

• Start the meeting with one or two shared slow breaths, especially if the topic is sensitive.

This helps you stay grounded when emotions rise – a key part of what we explore in Leading with nervous system awareness: Somatic skills for modern managers.

4.2 Hybrid meetings and workshops

For hybrid teams, breathing practices:

• Level the playing field between those in the room and those online.

• Create a shared “now” that everyone can join, regardless of location.

You might work this into your standard meeting agenda, together with the relational practices in Rehumanising the workplace for hybrid teams.

4.3 Strategic and board conversations

Even at senior levels:

• Starting strategy days with two minutes of guided breath can shift the tone from fight-or-flight to curiosity and creativity.

• When discussing tough topics like AI, restructuring or psychosocial risk, a short reset reminds everyone they are human beings first, roles second – a theme we hold in Human-centred leadership in the age of AI.

Help your leaders feel the difference, not just hear about it

Many leadership teams have heard about breathwork – fewer have felt what it does in their own bodies in a safe, professional context.

In The Human Leader Workshop we don’t just talk about breathing; we weave it into:

• Live practice of psychological safety scripts.

• Hybrid meeting simulations.

• Real-world scenarios around stress, AI and change.

When leaders feel calmer, more present and more connected after just a few minutes, the business case becomes very tangible.

5. Combining breath with movement: a nod to Qi Gong

Breathwork becomes even more powerful when paired with gentle movement and posture.

In Qi Gong and similar practices, breath, movement and attention work together to smooth tension, improve circulation and settle the mind. Evidence on Qi Gong suggests benefits for stress, mood and general wellbeing when practised regularly, including in workplace settings.

You don’t need to teach a full form in your team meetings, but you can borrow ideas from Qi Gong in the boardroom: Ancient practice for modern resilience and Breath, movement and focus: A somatic toolkit for corporate wellbeing champions.

5.1 The “Shoulder Sweep” plus Calm Down Breath (90 seconds)

1. Inhale and gently roll your shoulders up towards your ears.

2. Exhale as you roll them back and down, as if letting stress slide off.

3. Combine this with 4–6 breathing (in for 4, out for 6) for 5–6 breaths.

Ideal before or after tense calls.

5.2 The “Open the Screen” stretch (60 seconds)

1. Interlace your fingers behind your back (or just reach your arms back).

2. As you inhale, gently open your chest and imagine widening your visual field beyond the screen.

3. Exhale and relax back to neutral, keeping your chest a little more open than before.

Pair with slow nasal breathing to counteract “hunched over laptop” posture and breathing.

FAQs: Breathe, reset, reconnect

1. What if some people feel uncomfortable doing breathwork at work?
That’s completely normal. Always frame breathwork as an invitation, not a requirement. Offer options (“You’re welcome to close your eyes or just soften your gaze”) and keep practices short and simple. Over time, as people feel the benefits, many choose to join in.

2. Are there any risks to breathwork in the workplace?
Gentle, slow breathing practices are generally safe for most people. Avoid forceful techniques, long breath holds or very rapid breathing in corporate settings. Encourage anyone with respiratory or cardiac conditions to respect their own limits and skip anything that feels uncomfortable. Keeping practices light, short and optional is key.

3. How often should we use these practices to see benefits?
Even one to three short practices a day can make a difference to how people arrive in meetings and handle stress. Over weeks, the cumulative effect on mood, focus and resilience can be significant, especially when combined with other supportive leadership behaviours.

4. Will this feel “too soft” for senior leaders?
You can frame breathwork in performance language: improved focus, better decision-making, reduced reactivity. Share evidence on stress, HRV and emotional regulation, and connect it to existing priorities like safety, quality and innovation. Once senior leaders personally experience a short reset, resistance often softens.

5. How does breathwork fit into our wider wellbeing and leadership plans?
Think of breathwork as a foundational tool that supports everything else: psychological safety, hybrid rhythms, AI-era change. It helps leaders and teams access the calm and clarity they need to use other tools well. Breathwork sits naturally alongside the wider themes in Wellbeing as a business strategy: Embedding health into leadership and Trust as your competitive edge: The science of psychological safety.

Let breathing be your first line of leadership support

Breath is the one tool every person in your organisation already has – you’re simply helping them use it on purpose.

If you’d like your leaders to:

• Feel calmer and clearer in high-stakes moments.

• Have a simple way to reset meetings and hybrid calls.

• Model nervous-system aware leadership that supports real wellbeing and performance.

then I would be honoured to support you through The Human Leader Workshop.

Together, we can help your people breathe, reset and reconnect – not just survive the working day, but bring more of their best selves to it.

I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)