When pressure has already taken over, sometimes the first thing to change isn't your thinking. It's your state.
Last week, I wrote about curiosity and the space between what happens and how we respond.
But there's an obvious problem: what happens when you recognize that space only after pressure has already taken hold?
You're frustrated. Defensive. Your heart rate is up. Your thinking has narrowed. You're trying to respond before the other person has finished talking.
In those moments, telling yourself to be curious may not be enough.
Sometimes the first step is physiological.
A Simple Way to Influence Your State
One of the simplest ways we can intentionally influence our state is through the breath.
In a 2023 Stanford study, five minutes of daily breathwork improved mood. Cyclic sighing (two inhales followed by a long exhale) produced the largest gains in positive mood and the greatest reduction in resting breathing rate.
That fits a broader body of research showing that slow, intentional breathing can influence autonomic regulation. That matters because acute stress can impair working memory and cognitive flexibility, making us more likely to react when the situation requires something more thoughtful.
When Pressure Is Already Driving the Response
The breath doesn't solve the problem in front of you. It can help change the state you bring to it.
So when you notice pressure taking over:
Pause.
Take a slow breath in through your nose. Near the top, take a second smaller inhale. Then exhale slowly and completely through your mouth.
Repeat a few times, where possible, a few minutes.
Then ask: What am I noticing now that I wasn't noticing before?
And only then decide what comes next.
Practice Before You Need It
These tools need to be practiced before we desperately need them. Five minutes on an ordinary day may not feel transformative. Try swapping five minutes of scrolling for five minutes of practice. Pay attention over time. The results tend to reveal themselves when pressure arrives and you discover a little more space - and another choice available to you.
That is the practice.
The goal isn't to eliminate pressure. It's to get better at returning to a state where you can access your best thinking - and choose your response.
This Week's Reflection
Where in your day would having a little more space before responding make the biggest difference?
Next week: What nearly two decades at the intersection of high-stakes business and yoga practice taught me about performing under pressure.
Learn more about Core+Clarity: https://coreplusclarity.com/
Follow Core+Clarity for research-backed insights on performance and leadership.