If I wouldn’t have been made redundant, I would not be doing what I am doing now.
I just wouldn’t.
Three years ago, I wouldn’t have spent time learning about stress, performance and what pressure actually does to the body. I would still be working under it. Accepting it. Without questioning it. That’s just how it is, right?
91% of professionals know that stress lowers the quality of their decisions, their work and their joy. And yet pushing through remains the only known response. That drive that never stops. But at what cost?
Stepping back is not just stepping back. It’s thinking more clearly and making better decisions, especially in the heat of the moment, when it actually counts.
Today I led a Breathing Break for my former employer. 30 minutes. Global audience. In the middle of a day of back-to-back meetings.
Over 100 people had reserved space in their agenda to be present. To disconnect. To show up without disturbances. Notifications OFF.
I wish I had known earlier what I know now.
My body changed when I started understanding stress instead of just surviving it. Chronic pain: gone. Hypertension: gone. I stopped doing what drained me and learned to move through pressure differently, and through change and transformations.
Four transformations at once: new profession, new country, menopause, different family setup.
All in one go. That is not nothing.
Here is what happens under chronic stress:
- Your prefrontal cortex physically changes: the part that makes your best decisions.
- Your stress response is already running the show before you’re even aware of it.
- Stress under time pressure kills decision quality.
A breathing break has nothing to do with ‘wishy washy’ or wasting time.
It’s about making better decisions under pressure and showing up better. You’re not taking time out. You are recovering capacity.