6 Easy Breathing Exercises to Manage Stress at Work

Work can feel like a perpetual cycle of deadlines, emails, and meetings that can become an insurmountable, never-ending source of stress. But seeing as we spend over 30% of our day in this environment, we should do everything we can to utilize our time at work to optimize our well-being.

The good news is you’ve got the solution right under your nose — literally. Breathing exercises are a quick, effective, and easy way to manage stress levels with consistent results.

In this breathwork guide, I’ll walk you through six simple breathing techniques designed to help you navigate workplace anxiety, stay calm under pressure, and bring yourself back to center.

Take a nice, full, deep, slow inhale, hold for a moment, and gently exhale. Let's get started.

Aside from feelings of calm, relaxation, and serenity, there may be some physical side effects when practicing any breathing exercise. If you experience any, don't worry - they're all temporary and will subside shortly. Here's what you may or may not experience:

• Euphoria

• Tingling of the fingers, toes, mouth, face

• Cramping of the fingers

• Lightheadedness

• Dizziness

• Nausea (Only if you're really hungry, it goes away immediately with food)

Due to these side effects, I strongly advise you to remain seated or lying down for at least 60 seconds after completing any breathing exercise. Getting up too soon could result in losing balance due to the aforementioned side effects, so play it safe and take your time before standing up. Now onto the good stuff!

Box breathing, or "square breathing," is a favorite among Navy SEALs, hostage negotiators, EMS, and a number of other high-performing professionals for staying cool under pressure. It’s simple, structured, easy to memorize, and perfect for bringing your heart rate down during a stressful moment.

1. Sit down in a comfortable position, shoulders back and spine straight.

2. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for four seconds.

3. Hold inhale for four seconds.

4. Slowly and controlled, exhale slowly through your nose for four seconds.

5. Hold the exhale for four seconds to complete the box.

6. Repeat the cycle 3-5 times, or until you feel yourself return to center.

7. Remain seated for at least 60 seconds.

This method is a reliable stress-relief tool that’s as easy as it is effective. The 4-7-8 technique helps to calm your mind and body by disengaging your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and activating your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). Doing so lowers your heart rate, blood pressure, and a number of other high-stress symptoms that contribute to the negative stress cycle.

1. Sit on the floor or somewhere comfortable with a straight spine and shoulders back.

2. Take a controlled inhale quietly through the nose for four seconds.

3. Hold the inhale for seven seconds.

4. Exhale completely through your mouth nice and slow through pursed lips for eight seconds.

5. Repeat this round at least 4-5 times.

6. When complete, stay seated for at least one minute.

Also known as "belly breathing," diaphragmatic breathwork is about taking deeper, fuller breaths by pushing out the belly via the diaphragm. It’s an excellent way to counteract shallow chest breathing, which is a common stress response that contributes to making you feel more stressed. Taking the time to learn how to engage the diaphragm and breathe through the belly as you inhale will pay off in spades.

1. Sit comfortably or lie down. (It's best to lie down if this is your first time)

2. Place the right hand on your chest and the left on the belly.

3. As you inhale through the nose, focus on pushing the belly out.

4. Once your belly is fully expanded, then push out the chest and inhale more.

5. Release it all as you slowly exhale through pursed lips.

6. Repeat for 5-10 breaths, trying to make a wave with the chest and belly as you inhale.

7. Wait for at least 60 seconds before getting up.

This ancient pranayama (prana = life force [breath]; yama = control of) is like bringing a wildly swinging nervous system back to a cool, controlled metronome. Alternate nostril breathing is a subtle way to balance your mind and reduce anxiety pretty much anywhere, making it the perfect workplace breathing exercise.

1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine, shoulders rolled back and down.

2. Close your right nostril with your right thumb.

3. Fully inhale slowly through your left nostril.

4. Hold your breath for a moment.

5. Close your left nostril with your right ring finger.

6. Release your right nostril.

7. Slowly exhale through your right nostril. Don't exhale all the air out, just naturally release.

8. Switch sides; leave your finger where it is as you inhale through the right nostril.

9. Hold your breath for a moment.

10. Close your right nostril with your right thumb.

11. Release the left nostril.

12. Gently exhale through the left nostril.

13. Repeat steps 2-12 for at least 5-10 rounds.

14. Do not stand up for at least 60 seconds.

Also called "coherent breathing," this breathing exercise is definitely the easiest. It's a quick way to slow your breathing to a steady rhythm to get it under control so that your nervous system and physiological responses will follow suit.

1. Sit comfortably with a straight back, shoulders rolled back and down. Close your eyes.

2. Slowly inhale through your nose for five seconds.

3. Slowly exhale through your nose for five seconds.

4. Focusing on the steady pace, continue this rhythm until you feel better. There's no recommended duration; this is completely up to you.

5. Once complete, do not get up for at least 60 seconds.

Yet another incredibly uniquely-named breathing exercise, I developed this technique around the idea of facing your anxiety head on and wrestling it into submission. Embrace the heightened nervous system response with five fast deep breaths, reign it in with five normal-paced deep breaths, and shift into rest and digest with five slow deep breaths and some breath holds.

Please note that this is an intense breathing exercise; you will feel rushes of energy all throughout your body and flirt with an out-of-body experience. By the end of it, you'll completely forget about your anxiety.

1. Close the eyes and take a comfortable seated position with a straight spine, shoulders back and down.

2. Take five fast, controlled, deep breaths.

3. Take five deep, regular paced breaths.

4. Take five slow, controlled breaths.

5. Take a deep breath in and hold for 15 seconds.

6. Exhale most of the way, but not all of the way out. Hold the exhale for 15 seconds.

7. Take a final deep inhale in and squeeze your fists, arms, chest, and neck muscles to press blood to your head. Hold this inhale-squeeze for 15 seconds.

8. After 15 seconds, exhale and release.

9. Repeat as many times as you need, but once should do the trick.

10. Wait at least 60 seconds before getting up, you will feel lightheaded and dizzy if you get up too fast.

Learning to control your breath through these simple breathing exercises is an immediate and consistent way to control your stress at work or anywhere else you can safely take a seat. Whether you’ve got 60 seconds before a meeting or 10 minutes on your lunch break, these breathing techniques will reset your nervous system and put you back in control of your stress levels.

Start with one that feels right for you, build it into your daily routine, and break it out whenever you feel you need it. If you stick to at least one breathing exercise every day, you'll experience both immediate stress relief and long-term anxiety control. It's simple, powerful, and goes with you everywhere.

Thanks for stopping by, hit me up in the comments with any questions and give my Breathwork Training Masterclass a shot if you're ready to fully dive into the realm of practical pranayama.

Stay healthy, happy, and strong

Namaste

Aham Brahmasmi

Dan

Head of Breathwork Development & Co-Founder, Warrior Experts