Simple breathing trick that makes stressful meetings bearable - Lemmy.World

I work in a high-pressure job and used to dread certain meetings. Heart racing, sweaty palms, brain fog. A colleague who’s ex-military taught me what soldiers use: tactical breathing (same as box breathing). Before the meeting: 4 rounds of box breathing in the bathroom. Takes 90 seconds. During the meeting: extended exhales under the desk. Nobody notices. The extended exhale trick is genius — just make your exhale twice as long as your inhale. Breathe in for 3 seconds, out for 6 seconds. You can do it while someone is talking to you and they have no idea. It doesn’t eliminate stress but it takes the edge off enough that I can think clearly. My performance reviews have actually improved since I started doing this. What coping techniques do you use for work stress?