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The 8 Crafts

Leadership Practices

Regulation

Regulate your nervous system to stay calm, present and connected

Table of Contents

Introduction

Conscious breathing is a practical way to support nervous system regulation.

The breath is closely connected with our inner state. When we are under pressure or agitated, our breath can become faster, shallower or less steady. When we bring attention to the breath and practice breathing in a quieter and more deliberate way, we can support nervous system regulation through the body. This practice is not about forcing calm. It is about noticing what is happening and using the breath to move to an inner state of peace and presence.

For leaders, this matters because our inner state affects how we listen, speak and respond. A tense or rushed state can make it harder to stay focused and listen deeply to what is happening. Agitation narrows our perception, reduces our problem-solving ability and distorts our connection to others. A more peaceful inner state makes it easier to pause, notice and choose more helpful responses.

Breathing is an accessible and immediately effective tool for nervous system regulation. It supports presence, emotional easing and recovery after pressure. It can be the foundational switch between our reactive state and our connected state, shifting our leadership from anxiety-based control to creativity, trust and collaboration.

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‍When to use this practice

When we're stressed or anxious, we become reactive, controlling, protective. Our breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Conversely, slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This gives us acces to higher cognitive abilities: connection, creativity, openness and resilience.

Breathing regulation can support you when you need to:

Regulate your state: Strong emotions can affect breathing, posture, attention and behaviour. Working with the breath can help you slow the process down enough to notice what is happening. It may not remove the emotion, and it does not need to. The aim is to relate to the emotion with more steadiness.
Calm your nervous system: This does not mean becoming overly relaxed. A regulated state is alert and focused. Regulation means that you have more capacity to stay with what is happening, rather than being pulled into reaction.
Regain presence: When pressure rises, attention can move quickly into planning, analysing or anticipating what might happen next. Bringing attention back to breathing can help reconnect you with the body. This can be useful when you need to listen, speak carefully or stay with a conversation that feels difficult.
Slow down: Stress and urgency often affect the pace of breathing. Taking time to breathe through the nose, soften unnecessary tension and lengthen the exhale can help you return to a more workable pace. This is useful when speed is starting to reduce the quality of your thinking or your communication.

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How to develop this practice

There are many forms of breathwork. Some practices are active and intense. Others are quiet and gentle. The practices below are intended to be simple, accessible and suitable for ordinary working life.

Stay within comfort. None of these practices should create strain, dizziness or distress. If a practice makes you feel worse, stop and return to normal breathing. If you have a respiratory condition, cardiovascular condition, panic symptoms, pregnancy-related concerns or any medical uncertainty, seek appropriate professional guidance before using breath holds or structured breathing practices.

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Buteyko Breathing

The Buteyko Method was developed by Dr. Konstantin Buteyko. It focuses on nasal breathing, reduced breathing and gentle breath holds.

The aim is not to hold the breath for as long as possible. The aim is to breathe quietly through the nose and use short, comfortable pauses after the exhale.

‍How to practice

This is one of the Buteyko breathing exercises. It is called Short Breath Holds. Sit upright on the floor or on a chair. Let your spine be long but not rigid. Allow the shoulders, jaw and belly to soften.

Breathe normally through the nose for a few moments
Exhale normally through the nose.
At the end of the exhale, gently pinch the nose for 1 second.
Release the nose and breathe in gently through the nose.
At the end of the next exhale, gently pinch the nose again for 1 second.
Repeat this cycle for 1 minute.
After 1 minute, stop the breath holds.
Breathe in and out through the nose without trying to change anything. Let the breath settle for 1 minute.

Continue in this pattern for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep the breath nasal, quiet and comfortable throughout. Do not push through discomfort. Do not turn this into a long breath-holding exercise. The pause should feel easy.

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Benefits

This practice encourages nasal breathing and a quieter breathing pattern. The short pause after exhalation can help you notice the natural rhythm of the breath. It can also help reduce the habit of breathing more than needed.

For many people, this practice is useful because it is simple and gentle. It can be used before a meeting, after a conversation or during a period of pressure.

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Coherent Breathing

Coherent breathing involves slowing the breath to about 5-6 breaths per minute. This steady rhythm can support emotional regulation and help bring attention back to the body.A common version is to inhale for 5.5 seconds and exhale for 5.5 seconds, without holding the breath between the inhale and the exhale.

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‍How to practice‍

Sit comfortably. Breathe through the nose if that is available to you. Inhale gently for about 5.5 seconds. Exhale gently for about 5.5 seconds. Continue for a few minutes.

You can use a timer or a breath pacing app. Some apps use sound, colour or movement on the screen to guide the rhythm. The breath should remain comfortable. If 5.5 seconds feels too long, shorten the count. It is better to practice with ease than to force a pattern.

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‍Benefits

Coherent breathing gives the breath a steady rhythm. This can help bring attention back to the body and reduce the feeling of being rushed.The regular pace can also make the practice easier to follow. This is useful when the mind is busy or when it is difficult to focus.

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Box Breathing

Used by Navy SEALs for stress management, box breathing is a simple yet effective technique for emotional regulation. A common version uses a count of four.

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‍How to practice

Inhale for ±4 seconds
Hold for ±4 seconds
Exhale for ±4 seconds
Hold for ±4 seconds
Repeat

Keep the breath easy. The holds should not create strain. If the equal count creates tension, shorten the count or choose another practice. Some people find box breathing steadying. Other people find the breath holds uncomfortable. If the holds create discomfort or tension, it is better not to continue. Tension works against the purpose of the practice

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Benefits

Box breathing can help focus attention because it gives the mind a clear structure to follow. It can be useful before a demanding task, a high pressure situation or when you need a simple practice that does not require any equipment. ‍It is not the right practice if the holds create strain. In that case, use a slower breathing practice without holds.

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Diaphragmatic Breathing

‍Diaphragmatic breathing is sometimes called belly breathing. It helps bring awareness to the movement of the diaphragm during breathing.

Many people notice that stress changes where they feel the breath. The breath may feel higher in the chest, faster or more effortful. This practice helps you notice the movement of the breath lower in the body.

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How to practice‍

This exercise can be done sitting upright, but laying down is a great way to start if you’re new to the practice.

Lie on your back on a flat surface, such as a yoga mat.
Bend your knees and support your head if needed.
Place one hand on your upper chest.
Place the other hand on your belly, just below the rib cage.
Breathe in slowly through the nose, let the belly move outward as you inhale.
Keep the upper chest as motionless and quiet as possible.
Exhale through the nose, let the belly move back down as you exhale.

Continue for a few minutes. Do not force the belly to move. Let the movement be easy, allowing yourself to 'be breathed'. If lying down is not practical, you can also practice sitting upright.

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Benefits

This practice helps you become more aware of how you are breathing. It can be useful when the breath feels high, tight or effortful. It can also help you slow down and return attention to the body. With regular practice, many people become better at noticing changes in their breathing earlier. This can make it easier to respond before tension builds further.

While it often requires conscious practice to bring our breath back down into our diaphragm, a great benefit of this form of breathing is that, over time, it becomes our ‘new normal.’ Some long-term benefits of diaphragmatic breathing include:

Reducing cortisol levels, the stress hormone;
Increasing oxygenation, potentially improving mood;
Activating the relaxation response.

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‍Benefits of this practice

Incorporate conscious breathing into your personal or professional routine to:

Improve resilience: A primary benefit of conscious breathing is emotional regulation. By practicing regularly, you become more effective at dealing with intense, difficult, or stressful situations.
Enhance leadership: Breathing supports nervous system regulation, which in turn helps you to show up as a more stable and resilient leader for your team. This can help strengthen the bonds within your team as your colleagues feel more supported.
Increase presence: Breathing brings you back into your body, which results in increased mindfulness and awareness in complex situations.

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‍How to take this further

To effectively use breathing for processing difficult emotions:

Choose a technique: Select one breathing method that feels simple and manageable.‍
Practice regularly: Repetition helps the practice become more familiar. It is easier to use under pressure when you have also practiced it in calmer moments.‍
Combine with awareness: Notice the breath, the body and the pace of your thoughts. Pay attention to what changes as you breathe, and what does not change.
Grow emotional literacy: Become aware of your feelings without trying to judge or change them. Notice where they live in your body, without naming them. ‍
Seek professional guidance: If difficult emotions are persistent or overwhelming, consider working with an appropriately qualified professional.

Breathing offers a powerful, accessible tool for managing and processing difficult emotions. By incorporating these scientifically-backed techniques into our daily lives, we can develop greater emotional resilience and well-being.

While it can be can be useful, it should complement, not replace, medical care or mental health support when needed.

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