Do breathing exercises help manage stress during high-stakes budget meetings?

[Isabella.H]

I've been managing a small team for about a year now, and the constant pressure to meet quarterly targets is really taking a toll. I find my heart racing during budget meetings and I struggle to focus afterward. A colleague mentioned trying specific breathing exercises for stress relief, like a four-seven-eight pattern, but I'm skeptical it would work in a high-stakes office environment. I'm curious if anyone in a similar managerial or high-pressure sales role has genuinely found these techniques useful during the actual workday, not just at home.

[Savannah.D]

I tried the 4-7-8 thing once during a tense budget call. It helped a bit, but it felt awkward in the middle of a high-stakes moment.

[Brian_L]

In my role leading a small sales team, I’ll slip in two or three slow breaths between agenda items. Inhale through the nose for four counts, a quick hold, then a longer exhale. It’s not a cure, but it buys a moment to refocus without signaling panic.

[Chloe.C]

I think it depends on the moment. If the room is loud and tight on time, breathing helps only if you can do it without drawing extra attention. I try a quick mental cue—pause, listen, decide—and it buys me a beat to respond more calmly.

[MatthewT]

I’ve experimented with breathing and mindfulness, but the bigger wins came from changing how we run meetings. I block 25 minutes of focused work, share pre-reads, and keep a short check-in to name stressors. The breathing serves as a discreet reset after a jumpy moment, not a magic fix for the whole quarter.

[GraceR]

Breathing stuff helps, but I wouldn’t call it a fix for quarterly pressure. For me, the real shift has been setting guardrails: transparent forecasts, delegated decisions, and calmer meeting cadences. The breathing is nice, but it won’t move the numbers by itself.

[JosephJ]

What meetings spike your stress most—head-to-head price talks or the monthly forecast review? If you tell me a bit about the flow, we can brainstorm tweaks that fit your day rather than a generic hack.