Managing Workplace Stress Through Breathwork
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. According to the World Health Organisation, globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity.[i]
And stress in the workplace is a key area for concern, with 91% of UK adults reporting that they experienced high or extreme levels of pressure or stress in the past year.[ii]
Equipping employees with the tools and resilience they need to manage workplace stress is vital both for physical and business health.
Breathwork is a simple yet powerful tool anyone can use.
Understanding Workplace Stress
To effectively tackle workplace stress, it’s important first to identify and understand the common causes. This allows you to recognise what your stress flashpoints may be and to manage them as effectively as possible.
Common causes of workplace stress include deadlines, difficult co-workers, or workload overwhelm.
The signs of stress will probably be largely familiar, as most of us will have experienced a level of stress at some point in our working lives. Irritability, fatigue, poor concentration and physical tension are all common signs. In order to address these symptoms, it is helpful to understand how the body’s nervous system plays a role in stress responses.
When you are under stress, your sympathetic nervous system - also known as the fight-or-flight response - kicks in. It’s your body’s way of reacting to perceived threats, even if they’re just deadlines or back-to-back meetings. This response increases your heart rate, speeds up breathing, and releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
The good news is that you can proactively wake up your parasympathetic nervous system, helping you calm down, focus, and return to balance.
How? With controlled Breathwork.
What Is Breathwork?
Breathwork is a simple tool that anyone can practise. It is one of the fastest ways to shift out of fight-or-flight mode and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Slow, controlled breathing sends a signal to your brain that you are safe - helping your body relax, focus, and recover.
By activating the parasympathetic nervous system, your body’s physical response is a reduction in cortisol, increased focus and emotional regulation.
Simple Breathwork Techniques for the Office
Why not try these simple breathwork techniques to combat office stress?
Diaphragmatic Breathing (Belly Breathing)
How to do it:
Sit or lie down comfortably with one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
Inhale slowly through your nose for about 4 seconds, letting your belly rise (not your chest).
Exhale gently through your mouth or nose for 4–6 seconds, letting your belly fall.
Repeat for a few minutes, focusing on slow, even breaths.
Why it works: This technique activates the diaphragm, a deep breathing muscle, which signals your body to switch from the stress-driven sympathetic system to the calming parasympathetic system. It reduces muscle tension, slows your heart rate, and helps you feel more grounded and at ease.
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana)
How to do it:
Sit upright and use your right thumb to gently close your right nostril.
Inhale slowly through the left nostril.
Close the left nostril with your ring finger, release the right nostril, and exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right nostril, close it, and exhale through the left.
That’s one full round - continue for 1–5 minutes.
Why it works: Nadi Shodhana helps balance the nervous system and clear mental fog. It calms anxiety by regulating breath flow and bringing awareness back to the present. Studies also suggest it may reduce blood pressure and improve focus - making it ideal before a stressful task or meeting.
How to Incorporate Breathwork Into Your Work Day
The accessible nature of Breathwork makes it ideal for incorporating into your work day with ease. Even just a few minutes between tasks or during breaks can be beneficial. Or even better, make it a daily micro-routine (e.g., 5 mins after logging in or before lunch).
Breathwork, mindfulness and workplace wellbeing are becoming an ever-increasing priority in most workplaces, so speak to your HR or Wellbeing lead to see what support or resources you have available to you. I run regular in-house workshops, retreats and wellbeing walks for a variety of clients – the options are endless and can be tailored to your environment!
However, you choose to incorporate breathwork, the key point to remember is that there really are no barriers to entry – if you can breathe, you can do it! Just start small and be consistent.
If you’re not sure where to start and need some tips to kick off your breathwork journey, check out Breathwork 101, my free online, self-guided course.