In the reality of human work and collaboration today, it is inevitable to face at work intense moments of emotion (stress, anger, fear, frustration, grief…).
When those emotions are suppressed in teams and leadership, they slowly cause stress, resentment and when unwatched, mental or physical health problems and burnout.
According to Gallup and Deloitte research (2025):
* Around 48% of employees report experiencing burnout at work.
* 82% of executives report experiencing symptoms of exhaustion or burnout
* Only 20% of employees worldwide are engaged at work
We can’t discard the trend. The future of work and good leadership is in the ability of managing stress and emotional health at work. But most executives and employees were never trained for it, neither in personal or professional life.
And when leaders are constantly operating from stress, that energy doesn’t stay with them. It trickles down into teams, relationships, decision-making and ultimately into what the organization creates.
When we are stressed, our nervous system moves into survival mode: fight, flight or freeze. Our thinking becomes narrower. We become more focused on protecting ourselves than creating, innovating or taking thoughtful risks.
This is why self-regulation is not just a wellness practice. It is a leadership skill.
Let me share this week two very simple practices, especially when you have a high-demand job.
1. Heart-focused breathing
The first is heart-focused breathing, inspired by the work of the HeartMath Institute. It is a simple way to interrupt the momentum of stress and give yourself a moment before reacting.
Bring your attention to the centre of your chest and imagine your breath flowing in and out through your heart area. Then breathe slowly: five seconds in, five seconds out, for around five minutes.
You can use it in the morning, before a difficult conversation or presentation, when you feel activated, between meetings, or at the end of your workday to create a transition into your personal life.
A good routine is to pause and practice the heart breathing three times a day.
The goal isn’t to make the stress disappear. It is to create enough space to choose your response rather than acting from your automatic reaction.
2. The one-minute self-awareness check-in
After the breathing, take one more minute to simply notice yourself.
What am I feeling right now? Where do I feel it in my body?
Are you tense? Angry? Anxious? Frustrated? Sad? Calm?
You don’t need to fix anything. Just notice.
Our emotional state changes the way we perceive situations. The same difficult message can feel like an attack when we’re exhausted and completely manageable when we’re grounded.
This is particularly important for leaders. Before asking “What is the right decision?”, we can also ask:
“From what state am I making this decision?”
Fear, anger and exhaustion can all influence the way we lead without us realizing it.
Come back to yourself
I believe one of the biggest challenges for leaders today is not access to information or intelligence. AI can already process more information than we ever could.
The challenge is increasingly ourselves: how we regulate, how we respond under pressure, how we hold uncertainty, and how we protect our energy and vitality.
Your team doesn’t only experience your words. They experience your state.
So for the next 28 days, try this simple practice: five minutes of heart-focused breathing, followed by one minute of self-awareness.
Do it every day. And observe what changes.
Perhaps you react differently and notice your emotions earlier.
Can you feel more space before reacting? Do you feel more grounded?
The practice is simple.
The transformation comes through repetition and new habits.
You don’t have to be at the mercy of your stress.
Let me know how it goes after 28 days 🙏
About HeartMath Institute
HeartMath Institute (HMI) is a nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to helping people build resilience, emotional balance, and clarity through practical, science-based tools and technologies.
HeartMath techniques and heart rhythm coherence feedback technologies are used worldwide in workplaces, schools, healthcare settings, families, and communities to reduce stress and support well-being in real, everyday situations.
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