How One Minute of Controlled Breathing Improves Decision-Making Under Stress

You’re stressed. Your mind is racing, your body’s tight, and your decisions feel rushed. But what if I told you that better decisions started with a clearer mind?

Your brain can't solve problems and manage threats at the same time. 

When you're stressed, your prefrontal cortex (strategic thinking) gets overridden by your amygdala (survival mode).

One minute of intentional breathing puts you back in control. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which signals your brain to exit fight-or-flight mode and switch to higher-order thinking and planning. 

The method is simple: breathe in while counting to 4, hold your breath and count to 4 again, then breathe out and count to 6. 

Do this before your next big decision, and see if it helps you enter into a more strategic and clear-headed state of mind. 

Peace of mind isn't just something that’s nice to have. It's your competitive edge as a high-performing leader.

Take one slow breath right now, then explore more tools for mindful leadership at Elite Executive Coaching.

Work with Elite Executive:

1. Free worksheet
The Fast Stress Management Worksheet provides a clear pathway to peak performance that you can use today. Grab it here.

2. Talk to me
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3. Work together
The EMDR Peak Performance Core Program is for leaders ready to operate at their peak. Learn more.