If you're sitting here feeling wound up,
Or flat,
Or just done,
That's okay.
I've been there also,
I've felt it too,
And I still do sometimes.
So while I have a chat with you,
Close your mouth,
Put your tongue on the roof of the mouth and just breathe through your nose.
The pressure builds at work,
At home,
In your own head,
And you start running on fumes,
Fight or flight,
All the time,
And you don't even know it.
You need to know this doesn't make you weak,
Stress is real,
And what you're feeling is valid.
Right now,
Around one in five men in Australia are living with high levels of stress or anxiety,
And nearly half of us,
43%,
Will experience anxiety or depression at some point in life.
You're not alone,
And you don't need to power through every moment.
You deserve a few minutes to catch your breath.
That's all this is,
Let's begin.
What we're doing here isn't meditation,
It's breath work.
Gentle nasal breathing,
The way we're built to breathe.
It calms your nervous system,
It lowers your heart rate and blood pressure,
It tells your body and your mind you're safe.
When we breathe through the nose,
We make something called nitric oxide that expands blood vessels,
Improves circulation,
And helps oxygen reach your brain.
Just three to five minutes of nasal breathing can reduce blood pressure by up to seven points,
Lower heart rate,
And ease anxiety.
This is science-backed calm,
And it's available to you right now,
Even as you've started nasal breathing.
Sit up straight,
Unclench your jaw,
Rest your hands on your belly or lap,
Breathe in gently through your nose,
Breathe out even softer.
There's no need to take big breaths,
Just soft,
Light,
Quiet ones.
When you breathe through your nose,
You use your diaphragm,
So you will feel your belly move,
Not your chest.
In through the nose,
And out through the nose.
In through the nose,
And out through the nose.
In through the nose,
And out through the nose.
Now,
We'll add a gentle pause after the exhale.
So,
Inhale through your nose,
Exhale,
And hold for two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Inhale through your nose,
Exhale,
And hold for two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Inhale through your nose,
Exhale,
And hold for two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
This small breath hold increases carbon dioxide slightly.
This helps your body release oxygen better,
And tells your brain we're okay.
It also triggers your vagus nerve,
Slowing down your heart rate.
If you feel light,
Calm,
Or even a little sleepy,
That's your body letting go.
Stay with it,
No effort,
No force.
Stay with me,
Just breathing lightly in and out of your nose with your mouth closed.
Remember,
Tongue is on the roof of the mouth.
You don't have to do holds,
But you can if you like.
Right now,
More than 12% of men are in a high-stress state.
Tight chest,
Racing mind,
Wired,
But tired.
If that's you,
This is your reset.
Inhale through the nose,
Exhale,
And pause.
Keep going.
While you do this,
Know you are guiding yourself out of fight or flight,
Back into rest and digest.
This is the shift your body craves.
Not by fixing,
Just softening.
You've just done something powerful.
You've said,
I matter.
You've given yourself five minutes of peace.
This doesn't mean you're broken.
It doesn't mean you're weak.
It means you're human.
You can come back to this anytime.
In the car,
Before a hard day,
After a hard day,
After a hard conversation.
Whenever you need to reset.
Let's finish with three slow breaths together.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
You've done well.
Resume what you were doing,
Just that little bit calmer and lighter.
You've got this.
