Breathwork for Stress: How 10 Minutes Can Change Your Entire Day
Why Breath is Your Most Underrated Tool
Stress is sneaky.
It starts in your mind, but if you look closely, it shows up everywhere — tight shoulders, shallow breathing, a racing heart.
Here’s the thing: you can’t always control what’s happening around you, but you can absolutely shift what’s happening inside you.
Your breath is the quickest, most reliable way to do that.
The Science of Why Breathwork Works
When you’re stressed, your sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight mode) kicks in.
Intentional breathing signals your body that you are safe, activating the parasympathetic nervous system — the one responsible for rest, repair, and digestion.
Just a few minutes of conscious breathing can:
Lower cortisol levels (your main stress hormone)
Slow your heart rate
Improve focus and decision-making
Boost mood by increasing serotonin and dopamine
My “Stop the Spiral” Breathwork Moment
A few years back, I had a day where everything went wrong — tech failed, a client canceled last-minute, and my brain decided to replay every past mistake I’d ever made.
I closed my laptop, sat on the floor, and did a 4-4-4-4 box breathing cycle for 10 minutes.
By the end, my body felt lighter. The noise in my head softened.
Nothing about my to-do list had changed, but my energy had.
That’s when I stopped seeing breathwork as “self-care” and started seeing it as self-rescue.
3 Easy Breathwork Techniques for Stress Relief
Box Breathing – Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.
4-7-8 Breath – Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8.
SOMA Breath Energizer – Inhale deeply, hum on the exhale, and repeat with rhythmic music.
When to Use These Tools
Before a big meeting or presentation
After an overwhelming conversation
Mid-afternoon slump
Before bed to unwind
Why This Matters
Stress is inevitable. Suffering under it is optional.
When you train your body to return to calm quickly, you stop losing hours (or days) to tension that could’ve been released in minutes.
Ready to Learn More?
Join our SOMA Breathwork sessions to master these techniques and more, so you can reset your body and mind anytime, anywhere.
