Breath, Focus, and Performance: A 5-Minute Break at Your Desk

Arda Eşberk
1 hour ago
3 min read

How does Ardashir improve his performance in the office and calm his mind?

Why Is Meditation So Important?

Meditation is no longer a practice reserved for those who “have spare time.” It has become a necessity for anyone who wants to protect their mental health, focus, and decision-making quality in today’s fast-paced world.

Especially in corporate life, when the nervous system is constantly stimulated throughout the day and cannot regulate itself, stress becomes chronic, attention scatters, and performance declines. This is exactly where meditation and conscious breathing practices come in:

They slow the mind, calm the body, and bring us back to the present moment.

The good news? You don’t need long hours or special spaces to benefit from them.

Why Does Breath Directly Affect Performance?

Breath is directly connected to the nervous system. Throughout the day, shallow and rapid breathing—often without our awareness—can:

Keep the brain in a constant state of alert
Increase emotional reactivity
Make clear thinking more difficult

In contrast, diaphragmatic breathing:

Calms brain waves
Increases the capacity to focus
Supports healthy decision-making

In other words, the right kind of breathing doesn’t just relax you—it improves the quality of your work.

5 Practical Exercises You Can Do at Your Desk

1️⃣ 90-Second Diaphragmatic Breathing (Before a Meeting)

Sit upright but comfortably in your chair
Place one hand on your chest, one on your abdomen
Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds
Exhale through the nose for 6 seconds👉 Repeat for 6 rounds

Effect: Calms the mind and brings the body back into balance.

2️⃣ Focus Breathing (During High Workload)

Close your eyes
As you inhale, silently say “I am here”
As you exhale, silently say “now”👉 Practice for 2 minutes

Effect: Gathers scattered attention and centers focus.

3️⃣ 5–5–5 Breathing (Before Making a Decision)

Inhale for 5 seconds
Hold for 5 seconds
Exhale for 5 seconds👉 Repeat for 5 rounds

Effect: Supports conscious, non-reactive decision-making.

4️⃣ Micro Awareness Break

Notice 3 sounds around you
Feel the contact between your body and the chair
Simply observe your breath👉 1–2 minutes

Effect: Reduces mental load.

5️⃣ End-of-Day Transition Breathing

As you inhale, acknowledge what you accomplished during the day
As you exhale, say to yourself: “That’s enough for today”👉 3 minutes

Effect: Helps prevent carrying work stress into your personal life.

Video Recommendations for Beginners

For those who want to understand these practices more deeply and integrate them into daily life, I especially recommend these two videos:

🎥 10 Minutes That Can Change Your Life: Why Is Meditation So Important?In this video, I explain the mental, emotional, and physical effects of meditation in a clear and simple way, offering a solid overall framework. You can watch it with subtitles here.

🎥 Breath and ThoughtsA gentle and accessible practice, especially suitable for beginners. It helps you observe the relationship between breath and thoughts. You can watch it with subtitles here.

Both videos are available on my YouTube channel.

Film and Book Recommendation

🎬 The Peaceful Warrior: Although it may not seem directly related to corporate life, this film powerfully illustrates—through metaphor—the impact of presence, breath, and mental discipline on performance.👉 The message is clear:True potential cannot emerge until the mind is calm.

📘 Erwecke den Helden in Dir: In our book, we explore this film and many similar narratives in depth.The book serves as a guide that translates awareness, role consciousness, and inner transformation into both personal and professional life.

👉 You can Download our e-book here.