Mastering Business Stress with Breathwork

Jul 12, 2024 | Listen

Mastering Business Stress with Breathwork

Stress is sadly, a plague on the body and mind – particularly if you are running a business. 

As an entrepreneur, if you don’t have effective stress management techniques in place, it can lead to lost focus, missed opportunities, and burnout, stopping business growth in its tracks. 

The good news? Your mindset can control your stress response and techniques such as breathwork offer a path to help you regain physiological control and maintain calm in high-pressure situations. 

But what exactly is breathwork? 

How does it differ from regular breathing? 

How can you practice it effectively? 

And can it help manage stress in both personal and professional settings?

John Hall: Mastering business stress with breathwork

In this episode, I sit down with stress management expert John Hall to talk all about stress, particularly looking into the impact of mindset and physiology on how our bodies respond to it. He shares how techniques such as breath awareness, deep breathing, and tapping can help signal the body to relax and effectively manage stress.



Timestamps for this week’s episode

04:53 The physical effects of chronic stress

09:53 B.P.M: Breath, Physiology and Mindset

20:07 Identifying daily stressors and how to overcome them

23:09  Breathwork in Action

35:26 The quickest way to get yourself to relax right now


The physical effects of chronic stress

Chronic stress triggers a complete mind-body reaction, similar to what would happen if you were face to face with a wild bear in the woods.

Your amygdala, the primal center of your brain, will switch on your fight-or-flight response, slowing down all the non-essential functions like digestion and creative thinking. This will put you into a state of survival mode, which will affect your prefrontal cortex, reducing logical reasoning – making you panic or “freak out.” But, prolonged stress can also trigger a freeze response in your body, where you conserve energy and withdraw inwards.

In non-bear-in-the-wild situations or non-life-threatening scenarios like high-pressure presentations or investor meetings, these responses still get activated, affecting your performance. The key is to recognize these physiological reactions. Instead of resisting this chaotic energy, redirecting it mentally, towards calm and focus, is actually more effective. You’ll be able to function normally and maintain peak performance whatever comes your way.

Successful people don't have less stress, they have better stress management techniques, better stress management tools.

B.P.M: Breath, Physiology and Mindset

A useful method for calming down that’s easy to remember is BPM or Breath, Physiology and Mindset:

  1. Breath

Stress is not just a mental reaction; it’s a full-body response. Trying to calm down by simply telling yourself to relax is like a toddler trying to control an 800-pound gorilla. Instead, you need to use your body to signal your mind that you’re safe. Start with breath. Taking slow, deep breaths can help calm your body and mind. This conscious act tells your body that it’s safe, which begins to reduce the stress response.

  1. Physiology

Your body’s posture and movements send signals to your brain. For example, standing in a power pose like the Wonder Woman pose can boost your confidence and help manage stress. Open up your chest, relax your shoulders, and avoid clenching your muscles.

  1. Mindset

What you focus on can influence your body’s stress response. Shift your thoughts to something positive or something you’re grateful for. By doing this, you’ll regain control, allowing your brain to function more effectively.

“If my mind and body are focused on survival, anything that isn’t needed by my mind and body at the moment is going to get shut down, including digestion and creativity.”- John Hall

Identifying daily stressors and how to overcome them

The most powerful thing you can do to manage daily stressors is to become aware of them. You don’t need to have a solution or know why you’re stressed. Simply noticing that you’ve been focusing on potential problems or negative aspects of a situation can make a big difference.

For instance, if you find yourself worrying about a project going wrong or fixating on issues in a relationship, acknowledge those thoughts. Just recognizing that you’re doing this can help bring the stress from your unconscious mind into your conscious mind, starting to dissolve it.

Awareness is the first step in shifting your thoughts from negative to positive. By being mindful of when your thoughts turn negative, you can start to focus on more positive and productive thinking, reducing stress and improving your overall mindset.

What we set our mind on impacts our body and impacts our response.

Breathwork in Action

Here’s how you do breathwork to help manage stress:

  1. Deep Belly Breathing 

Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Without thinking too much, take a natural breath in and notice which hand moves more. 

Breathe in deeply through your nose, letting your belly expand, then exhale through your mouth, allowing your breath to spill out naturally.

Ideally, your belly should move more than your chest. This deep belly breathing signals safety to your body. 

  1. Long Exhale Technique

When you take your breath as instructed earlier, make sure you inhale through your nose for about five seconds, and then exhale through your mouth for about seven seconds. This makes the exhale 30% longer than the inhale, which helps activate the vagus nerve, signaling your body to relax. Imagine you are gently and slowly blowing into a balloon. Repeat this process a few times and notice how your body starts to feel more settled and calm.

Keep practicing these breathwork techniques to help you stay stress-free even in high-pressure situations.

“Just being aware of when your thoughts start to go south is the biggest single thing you can do to start to shift your thoughts from negativity to positivity.” – John Hall

The quickest way to get yourself to relax right now

Start deep belly breaths to ease tension you may not even realize you’re carrying. You can also check out John Hall’s “Breathe Easier” course, which is available on his website. It’s perfect for anyone dealing with stress, from students facing exams to busy parents, and offers practical insights and tools in just two weeks of concise lessons. By the end of the course, you’ll know be equipped to manage stress effectively and find calm whenever you need it.

Summary

  • Chronic stress triggers a fight-or-flight response, slowing non-essential functions like digestion and creativity, leading to panic or a freeze response.

  • Use BPM—Breath, Physiology, and Mindset—to calm down –  deep breaths signal safety, adjusting your posture boosts confidence, and shifting to positive thoughts helps you manage stress effectively.

  • The key to handling daily stress is to be aware of any negative thoughts. Dissolves stress by shifting your focus to positive thoughts and gratitude.

  • Manage stress with breathwork which is a deep belly breathing technique characterized with long exhales to activate your vagus nerve and move you into a state of relaxation.

  • To deal with stress immediately, start with deep belly breaths to release tension, and explore John Hall’s “Breathe Easier” course for practical stress management tools in two weeks.

Transcript

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About guest – John Hall

Breathwork & Embodiment Coach

John Hall is a Breathwork & Embodiment Coach and a 30-year Fortune 100 tech leader. He left corporate life to cultivate the relationships and purpose that drive fulfillment. Now, he coaches executives and entrepreneurs via a science-backed methodology blending neural science, breathwork, and somatic practices to manage stress, boost self-confidence, and unlock potential.

Integrating tactical breathing techniques used by Navy SEALS and top athletes with a trauma-informed approach, John has created somatic practices to reduce anxiety, manage stress, and improve self-trust, empowering individuals to live a life filled with purpose, peace, and passion.

Email:  john@johnhallcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnthomashall/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnhallcoaching/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnhallcoaching/  

Speaking + Media Inquiries: https://quick.callwithjohnhall.com

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

Amy Cuddy

https://www.amycuddy.com

Daniel Kahneman 

https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555


About host – Kathy Svetina

Kathy Svetina is a Fractional CFO for growing small businesses with $10M+ in annual revenue.

Clients hire her when they’re unsure about what’s going on in their finances, are stressed out by making financial decisions, or need to structure their finances to keep up with their growth.

She solves their nagging money mysteries and builds a financial structure with a tailored financial strategy. That way they can grow in a financially healthy and sustainable way.

Kathy is based in Chicago, IL and works with clients all over the US.

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