The 90-Second Reset

The shortest practice that reliably does something. Three cyclic sighs (a full breath in through the nose, a second smaller one on top, then a long slow exhale out of the mouth), then you stop and notice where you are. Sitting down, eyes open or closed, ninety seconds end to end. This is the one to use between meetings, in a corridor before a difficult conversation, in the car before you go in. It is not a relaxation experience and it isn’t trying to be. It’s a tool, and the reason it’s ninety seconds is so that “I didn’t have time” stops being an excuse. Direction: down-regulating. Use this when you’re wound up rather than flat. Seated, no props. If you’re pregnant, have a heart or respiratory condition, or a history of panic attacks or fainting, check with a clinician first; if anything feels wrong, breathe normally.

Transcript

90 seconds for when you're wound up and the next thing is about to start. Stay exactly where you are, Both feet on the floor, Eyes open or closed, Whichever you'd feel most comfortable with here. We're going to do three breaths, And they have a particular shape. You're going to take a deep, Full breath in through your nose, Trying to fill the belly first. And then you're going to do a second, Smaller breath on top of it, Topping the lungs up, Like sniffing in some extra air, Which expands your lungs more. And then you let it all go through your mouth, Slowly, As if you're breathing out through a straw. Let's start with the first one. Deep, Full inhale. And at the end of that inhale, An extra inhale on top. And out slowly. Again, Inhale. Extra one on top and out Feel your feet on the floor. And the last one in through the nose extra one on top. And all the way out through the mouth Or let your breathing go back to normal, Don't manage it And just notice where you are, Nothing to fix If you had to put a number on how wound up you are, 0 to 10, What is it right now? Name it And that's the whole thing, 90 seconds sitting still and nobody in the room has to know you did it If you got five minutes rather than 90 seconds, Check the track called Five Minutes to Settle, Which does considerably more.