Breathe to Succeed – How to use your Breath for more Serenity and Focus in the Workplace

Why aren’t we using breathwork when we need it most?

Most of us (myself included until recently) only use breathwork during specific times: a morning session to kickstart the day, or an evening routine to unwind. But what about the rest of the day? The long hours we spend at work, where stress creeps in and focus slips away? This is precisely when conscious breathing could be a game-changer. It can help us dissolve stress before it takes hold and bring us back to a place of calm and clarity—even in the middle of a hectic workday.

So why aren’t we using breathwork when we need it most? Let’s dive in and explore how to bring the transformative power of conscious breathing into the workplace.

Bringing Breath to Work

The modern office can be a minefield for our inner peace. Stress, hierarchies, and emotional triggers seem to lurk around every corner. Working closely with others often brings challenges—misunderstandings, conflicts or overwhelming emotions like frustration, anger, or fear. Plus the deadlines and neverending todo lists. It’s all too easy to get swept away by these dynamics.

But here’s the thing: targeted breathing exercises can make all the difference. They offer a simple yet powerful way to stay calm, reconnect with yourself, and approach decisions with clarity and a cool head, rather than reacting impulsively to emotional turbulence.

This is exactly what Josephine Jess, one of Germany’s most renowned Breathwork coaches and founder of the PRANA UP company – who I´ve personally known for many years- has set out to address. Recognizing the immense potential of breathwork in the workplace, she developed a program specifically designed to integrate breathing techniques into daily office life. When I heard about her program, I didn’t hesitate—I knew I wanted to contribute to it.

Having spent years in corporate environments myself where stress and pressure were constant companions, I now realize how much breathwork could have transformed the way I handled those challenges. 

My mission now is to help others learn these practices and reduce the stress levels in their lifes. And together with Josephine I am very excited to embark on this journey of bringing Breath to Work.

Josephine Jess, who has been teaching Breathwork and Ayurveda for many years says: “Over the time, I’ve seen countless of my coachees pushed to their limits by the stress of everyday work. It became clear to me that breathwork shouldn’t be something reserved for leisure time. It needs to be woven into our daily routines—especially at work—because our inner state reflects outward. Stress can spread like wildfire, but so can peace and serenity. With conscious breathing, we can not only change our own experience but actively influence the energy of our work environment.”

Josephine explains it beautifully: “Imagine starting a team meeting not in the usual fashion—where people rush in at the last minute, juggling phones, finishing conversations, and filling the room with noise. Instead, picture a workplace where breathwork is woven into the culture. Everyone arrives on time, settles into the room, and silence takes over. The meeting begins with a brief moment of pause—just 30 seconds where everyone focuses on their breath, grounding themselves, becoming fully present. Then the meeting starts. The energy in that room? Completely transformed. Just 30 seconds, and yet it can shift everything.”

This simple, mindful practice is exactly what we aim to make the norm: bringing breathwork into the workplace—not as a “nice-to-have” wellness trend, but as an essential part of corporate culture.

Why? Because the benefits go far beyond individual well-being. Time and again, research has proven that health-focused initiatives in the workplace reduce stress, improve mental health, and boost overall job satisfaction. Happier, healthier employees mean fewer sick days, higher motivation, and greater productivity—all of which contribute to a thriving business.