đ„Ÿ THREE FAVOURITE DAYS ON THE GR11
Three Favourite Days on the Trail (So Far). People ask me all the time, which hike was the best. As if there’s one answer. As
August 28, 2026
Articles & FAQ
Performance under pressure, articles
Why I Trust the Trails More Than my To Do List
And, why two hours a week might be all you need Going outside has always been my remedy. My strategy to solve things, to get
August 28, 2026
Breathing Breaks
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
July 8, 2026
When Stress Undermines Leadership During Organizational Change
An old colleague called me recently.Senior leader. Pharma. Twenty years in the industry. She had survived the restructuring.Kept her role. Kept her team, what was
June 26, 2026
Solid leadership, in a system under pressure
In 2025 and 2026, I have seen more âgoodbyeâ posts on LinkedIn or other platforms than ever before. Especially from former colleagues over 50. Pharma
June 25, 2026
Poor sleep in perimenopause: what can you do about it?
Do you ever find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night, even though youâre exhausted? Or do you fall asleep easily, only to
June 25, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
I just need to breathe and all my stress will go away?
If only it were that simple. You breathe around 20,000 times a day, but how you breathe determines how you feel, focus, and recover. And how stressed you feel, or react when under pressure. Functional Breathing wonât make your problems disappear. It changes how you respond to them and that makes all the difference.
What is wrong breathing?
It has been studied that between 80 – 90% of people are breathing wrongly. You can breathe too fast, too shallow, or through your mouth instead of your nose. When you breathe wrongly, not optimal, you will feel more stressed and restless.Â
Good, functional breathing is slow, deep and quiet. You use your diaphragm as main muscle for your respiration. The mouth is for eating, the nose is for breathing.
Sometimes I feel like Iâm not getting enough air. What should I do?
That feeling usually means youâre breathing too much, not too little. When you breathe fast, you lose too much COâ, which tricks your body into thinking youâre short of air. Slow it down.
Try to breathe 6â8 times per minute: calm, low, nasal breathing.
Youâll notice your âlack of airâ feeling starts to fade, and with it, your anxiety.
Nasal breathing only? Whatâs wrong with breathing through my mouth?
Mouth breathing dries your airways, increases your heart rate, and keeps your body in stress mode.
Nasal breathing filters, warms, and humidifies the air and keeps your nervous system balanced. Itâs your bodyâs natural design. The moment you close your mouth; you signal safety to your brain.
But what if I donât have time for that?
You donât need extra time. You just need awareness. You breathe all day anyway. When you become conscious of even 1% of your 20,000 daily breaths, you start changing how you feel. Close your mouth. Rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth Breathe through your nose: when youâre working, walking, or just sitting on the couch. No one will even notice. But you will.
Whatâs the difference between all these breathing techniques?
A fair question.Â
As a breath coach, Iâm trained in five different methods, each with a specific focus.
Some aim to calm the nervous system, others to improve performance or recovery.
Some aim to calm the nervous system, others to improve performance or recovery.
The two best-known are the Wim Hof Method and Oxygen Advantage both powerful, but with different goals. Wim Hof Method focuses on resilience through intensity.
Oxygen Advantage focuses on efficiency through functional breathing.
Both work depending on what you need.
Both work depending on what you need.
Â
The most know breathing techniques are Wim Hof Method and Oxygen Advantage in both I am certified instructor. You can read more about the difference and similarities of the method here:Â Wim Hof Method versus Oxygen Advantage
How fast will I notice results?
Often within minutes. Calmer mind. Lower heart rate. More focus. With consistent practice, youâll notice better sleep, more energy, and sharper concentration. Itâs one of the few natural tools where you feel the effect instantly. No equipment needed.
What if I canât do it right?
Thereâs no âperfect breath! Itâs a practice, not a performance. The goal isnât to breathe better instantly, but to notice how you breathe. Awareness is the first step. Change follows naturally.
How often should I practice?
Short daily sessions, even starting at 2 to 5 and10 minutes make a difference.
Consistency is far more important than intensity.
I don't like the cold.
Like me. That is normal.
You donât go in the cold because you like it.
You go in to train your mind. Find focus. And stay calm under pressure.
Do I actually need to go to an ice bath or plunge?
Nope. A cold shower is totally legit and one of the safest ways to begin. It triggers many of the same adaption mechanisms. Ice baths are powerful, but only once youâre comfortable with shorter cold exposures.
How cold does âcoldâ need to be?
Thereâs no magic number or temperature. The âcoldâ should be uncomfortable, enough to activate your system, but not so extreme that it shocks you into panic. Think: cool, challenging, but manageable. Over time youâll naturally drift into colder temperatures.
How long should I stay in the cold?
Start very short :30 to 60 seconds. Once youâre comfortable, gradually lengthen the exposure. The focus is on control, not endurance.
How often should I do cold exposure?
A few times a week is better than one long session. Consistency is what builds adaptation.
Studies show that 11 minutes divided by 4 times a week is to aim for optimal health.
Why bother with cold at all? What are the benefits?
Cold exposure triggers adaptation: better circulation, reduced inflammation, improved immune response, hormonal balance, deeper sleep, mood elevation. It spices your system, forcing it to become stronger.
Women and cold exposure? Good or better not?
Absolutely possible â but with balance.Â
Cold exposure can be powerful for women, boosting mood, energy, and resilience but itâs not about pushing limits. Hormones, cycle phase, and stress levels matter. Start gentle, listen to your body, and stay consistent rather than extreme.
Can breathing help with hot flashes?
Yes. Slow nasal breathing and gentle breath-holds can stabilize body temperature and calm your nervous system.
Can breathing really help with menopause symptoms?
Yes, and more than most people think.
Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, low energy. They all relate to your nervous system and oxygen efficiency. By training slow, nasal, functional breathing, you calm the nervous system, balance hormones, and improve energy and sleep.
Cold and menopause, whatâs the link?
During menopause, your body changes its natural temperature regulation. Hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, all signs of a nervous system trying to find new balance.
Cold exposure helps you retrain that system. It stabilizes temperature regulation, boosts mood, and increases resilience. Itâs like pressing âresetâ on your inner thermostat.
How does cold affect my hormones?
Cold exposure activates brown fat, which supports metabolism and energy. It also influences noradrenaline and dopamine, the âfeel-goodâ and âfocusâ chemicals.
Regular exposure helps regulate your stress response and balance hormonal shifts making it especially supportive during menopause.
Whatâs the link between stress, oxygen, and menopause?
During menopause, your stress response can spike easily, even over small triggers.
Efficient, slow breathing regulates COâ and oxygen, lowering cortisol and stabilizing your mood. Think of it as training your body to stay steady while everything else changes.
How do I know if Iâm stressed if I feel âfineâ?
Stress often hides behind a mask. If you wake up tired, feel restless at night, get easily irritated, or lose focus, youâre not âfine.â Chronic stress creeps in quietly, affecting your energy, mood, and even your health without obvious alarms.
I canât switch off and my mind is always on.
Thatâs the key problem. Modern life constantly demands attention. Your body never gets a chance to recover. The solution isnât just relaxation, itâs conscious recovery.
Try small interventions: three slow nasal breaths, a short walk in nature, or a pause at your desk. Even a few minutes of awareness interrupts the autopilot stress cycle.
Can stress be useful?
Yes. There is good stress and ‘bad’ stress. Good stress, is short bursts of stress to build strength and resilience. It’s for a period with the goal to return to your calm afterwards. Chronic tiresome stress depletes you, and your body.
What happens when I canât switch off for long periods?
You accumulate âhidden stress.â It can manifest as:
Mental fatigue
Difficulty sleeping
Increased irritability
Physical tension (neck, shoulders, jaw)
Brain fog and poor decision-making
Does breathing really help with stress?
Absolutely. Slow, nasal breathing lowers heart rate, reduces cortisol, and increases COâ tolerance. All helping you to switch off faster.
Even a few controlled breaths interrupt racing thoughts and restore calm.
Suggestion for a quick reset?
Pause. Inhale through your nose, inhale again. exhale longer and slowly out. Cyclic sighing practice. Three breaths can reset your nervous system quicly.
I can't sit still and need to do something
Why trailrunning?
Because the trail gives you back what the office takes away.
Itâs not just running. Itâs being outside, in fresh air, surrounded by nature. Every step on uneven ground challenges your balance, coordination, and focus. Itâs the ultimate way to recharge, physically and mentally.
What does breathing have to do with running?
You train to run quicker, right! Why would you train your breathing?Â
Training your airway is the best-kept secret in sport.
Breathing really has an impact on your performance and affects everything. You can train your muscles for hours, but if your breathing is off, your body canât deliver oxygen efficiently.
When you train your breath, you train your endurance. And a quicker recovery.Â
- Increased core stability
- Improved Heart Rate Variability,Â
- 20% better oxygenation of the blood,
- Reducing the risk of respiratory infections and airway irritation.
Do I breathe through my nose or my mouth?
Breathing through your nose should be the standard. Inhalation AND exhalation both through your nose. In this way, the air that comes in, will be warmed up and humidified. Nose breathing also increases COâ tolerance and helps oxygen get better into your muscles.
The result? Less fatigue, more focus, better recovery.
At first, it can feel strange, like youâre not getting enough air. But you can train that through various exercises you can get quickly used to nose breathing.Â
How do I know that I am improving?
How good are you at breathing?
Improvements of breathing are mechanical, or chemical.
Either your breathing is functional or dysfunctional, and you can measure that with the BOLT score. The Body Oxygen Level Test. This test measures CO2 tolerance and functional breathing efficiency. That’s one way of measuring.
The other improvements you will notice, are that you are running lighter with more ease. Your heart rate will go down, more oxygen will go to your muscles, your respiration muscles and heart need to work less, less fatigue, quicker running and quicker recovery. Just to mention some.
I am trying nose breathing whilst jogging but my nose starts to run after about a minute. Any advice?
Important to know that this is normal. The only advice is, bring a tissue with you. Your running nose will get less and less in time and your body will adapt. But even in cold air, the nose will run.Â
After how long will I see a benefit?
That depends. Yes, I know, that’s not the answer you would like to get.Â
Some people close their mouth, and immediately feel comfortable in using their nose only for running. Others need more adaptation. It depends on your current condition, and also on other elements, as tongue position, openness of your airways.Â
On average, you would notice a difference after 6-8 weeks of training a couple of times per week. Â
Why I trust the Trail more than my To Do list
Studies on Breath, Stress & Menopause
Brief slow-paced breathing improves working memory, mood, and stress in college students (2025)
A brief SPB (Slow Paced Breathing) session with longer exhalation improved working memory and temporarily improved mood and stress thus providing a just-in-time intervention to help individuals cope with stress-inducing conditions.
Slow Breathing Reduces Biomarkers of Stress (2023)
Both slow breathing interventions (SB1 and SB2) were effective at preventing increases in the salivary stress marker in individuals post exposure. The salivary stress marker concentrations were significantly lower post.Â
Sports Performance and Breathing Rate: What Is the Connection? (2023)
The role of breathing in the performance of athletes should be considered. Athletes can obtain benefits in focus and concentration using slow breathing strategies.
Deep breathing exercise at work: Potential applications and impact (2023)
Implementing Deep Breathing Exercises in the workplace is a pragmatic approach to provide a low-cost blood pressure and stress reduction therapy to a substantial portion of the adult population in the US, at least 50% of whom have high blood pressure.
Breathing Practices for Stress and Anxiety Reduction (2023)
Anxiety and stress plague populations worldwide. Voluntary regulated breathing practices offer a tool to address this epidemic. Following this evidence-based framework can help maximize the stress/anxiety reduction benefits of breathing practices.
Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal (2023)
A review of breathing practices reported increased feelings of peacefulness, improved reaction time and problem solving, decreased anxiety and reduction of mind wandering and intrusive thoughts.Â
Efect of breathwork on stress and mental health: a meta-analysis (2023)
Deliberate control of the breath (breathwork) can have a therapeutic potential to improve mental health. Results showed that breathwork may be efective for improving stress and mental health.Â
Mindfulness to reduce stress and enhance well-being at work (2021)
Workplace Mindfulness programs enable participants to deal more skillfully with stressful events and stress less to improve their well-being. The mechanisms involved can be grouped around awareness/self-regulation, acceptance/compassion, feeling permitted to take care of self, sense of growth and promise of goal attainment
How breathing can help to make better decisions (2019)
Deep slow breathing can increase vagal nerve activity, indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is also associated with better decision-making. This research examined the effects of two breathing patterns on HRV and on stress and decision-making performance . These studies show that brief vagal breathing patterns reliably increase HRV and improve decision-making
How Breath control can change your life (2018)
Slow breathing techniques act enhancing autonomic, cerebral and psychological flexibility. The study provided evidence of links between parasympathetic activity, CNS activities related to emotional control and psychological well being.Â
The effect of breathing on attention, negative affect and stress (2017)
Diaphragmatic breathing could improve sustained attention, affect, and cortisol levels. This study provided evidence demonstrating the effect of diaphragmatic breathing, a mind-body practice, on mental function. Â
Alternate-Nostril Breathing Reduced BP While Increasing Performance (2017)
Alternate-nostril yoga breathing has been shown to be useful to improve attention and decrease the systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
A wandering mind is an unhappy mind (2010)
A smartphone technology to sample peopleâs ongoing thoughts, feelings, and actions. Â People are thinking about what is not happening almost as often as they are thinking about what is and found that doing so typically makes them unhappy.
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