The brain uses nearly 20% of our oxygen: when breathing becomes restricted, thinking becomes less clear too.
Before a tense meeting, a tricky email, or speaking in public, your breath is held back, almost without you noticing. Yet there is a brake on stress, and research has confirmed it: a slightly longer exhale. This module shows you why it calms you so quickly, then equips you to practice: a regular routine and quick breathing techniques for when pressure rises without warning.
~20 min at your own paceKey skill: Stress managementAvailable in FR + ENNo prerequisites
What you’ll take away
- the golden rule to remember: always exhale a little longer than you inhale
- cardiac coherence as a regular practice, five minutes three times a day
- three quick, invisible breathing techniques to defuse sudden spikes of stress
Who it’s for
Anyone who wants to regain their calm in a few breaths, before a meeting, a call, or a decision.
Learning objectives
- Understand how stress restricts the diaphragm and why a long exhale triggers the return to calm.
- Practice cardiac coherence using David O’Hare’s 3-6-5 rule: six breaths per minute, for five minutes.
- Use three quick breathing techniques when pressure suddenly rises: anti-panic breathing, three-part breathing, and the physiological sigh.
- Build breathing into your day by linking it to moments that already recur: a meeting, a call, a tricky email.
How does this module work?
The steps of the Adaptive module.
- Self-assessmentOn nine dimensions, to gauge current habits and guide the practice.
- Expert videoA ~10 min video with three pauses for reflection.
- Practice scenariosThe first two scenarios chosen from the self-assessment, then sixteen more, optional. Every answer gets feedback: what it leads to, and one way to improve.
- Dated commitmentOne action to try, written by the learner or chosen from the suggestions.
- Memo to downloadKey takeaways, questions, commitment, personal notes, and checklists.
Duration: ~20 min. Excluding bonus practice scenarios and optional in-depth content.
