Slow Down to Speed Up: How Breathwork Makes You More Productive (and less frazzled)
“Rushing won’t mean you’ll get more done—you’ll just make more mistakes. Sorry, but true.” - Sarah, Founder of Breathe Her.
It’s one of the hardest truths to accept when you're juggling meetings, emails, to-do lists, and an entire life outside of work: Going faster doesn’t always mean finishing faster. In fact, it usually means the opposite.
Rushing leads to mistakes. Mistakes lead to more work. And more work leads to—you guessed it—more time lost, more pressure, more stress.
But there’s good news: there’s a better way (shock horror). A more regulated way to lead, live, and get things done.
And it starts with your breath.
The Problem Isn’t That You’re ‘Busy’. It’s That You’re Rushing.
Let’s be real—many of us are operating in a constant low-grade state of panic. It feels like we have no choice but to move fast, multitask, and juggle it all. But while rushing might feel productive in the moment, it’s quietly tanking your clarity, creativity, and nervous system.
When you're rushing:
You make more errors
You miss subtle but important details
You spend more time task-switching aka multitasking (a known productivity killer)
Your brain burns more energy trying to keep up
You stay stuck in fight-or-flight mode, which clouds decision-making
It's not just inefficient—it's unsustainable.
Multitasking Is a Myth (and a Mess for Your Brain)
We’ve been conditioned to think that multitasking is a skill to brag about. But neuroscience tells a different story.
When you switch from task to task—Slack, email, text, tiktok, meeting, repeat—your brain doesn’t actually ‘multitask’. It rapidly switches between foci, and each switch creates a cognitive cost. You lose momentum. You lose attention. And your stress levels climb.
In fact, studies show that task switching can reduce productivity by up to 40%. That’s nearly half your brainpower—gone.
Slowing down isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what matters, with your full presence.
Breathwork: The Shortcut to Focus, Flow, and Fewer Mistakes
When you integrate breathwork into your day, you're not just calming down—you’re upgrading the way your brain and body function.
Here’s whats happening when you stop rushing and start breathing:
Regulated breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your rest-and-digest state), which restores balance after stress spikes.
It improves cognitive clarity by increasing oxygen to the brain and creating focus through directed soft attention.
It helps you pause before reacting, allowing you to respond with intention instead of impulse.
And most importantly, it slows you down just enough to stop rushing—and start leading with focus.
The result? Less reactivity. More productivity. Fewer mistakes. And more energy left over at the end of the day (bye bye, burnout).
Other benefits that will start to seep out into the rest of your day will include;
You’re more likely to catch details, follow through on projects, and create higher quality outcomes.
Less cortisol, lower heart rate, more access to your calm and collected self.
You sleep better. You digest better. You feel better.
Try This: The 7-min Focus Reset (Any shower, Anytime)
The next time you feel that “go faster, do more” urgency creeping in, try this breathwork practice in your next shower. Micro-practice. Deep results. Designed to help you slow down without falling behind.
You don’t need another task to ‘add’ to your list. That’s why this short breathwork ritual is built into something you’re already doing: your daily shower.
This 7-minute Stress-Cleanse Shower Practice combines gentle breathwork, grounding, vagus nerve massage, and mindfulness—all while you wash your body & stand under warm running cleansing water. It’s a nervous system reset disguised as simply just part of your daily routine.
Yes, just 7 minutes. That’s it. No extra time. No fancy tools. Just a shift in how you show up—for yourself and the rest of your day.
PSA: we know that water is scarce right now in many places, so please know that this practice can also be done outside of the shower (laying in bed, standing at the kitchen sink, etc) or in the shower but turning the taps on/off periodically to save water.
Do Less Rushing. Do More Real Work.
Rushing isn’t a badge of honor. It's a fast track to burnout and breakdowns. Breathwork doesn’t slow you down—it clears the path.
When you move from a grounded place, you make fewer mistakes. You move more efficiently. You finish with energy instead of depletion.
This is your permission to stop pushing, and to start pacing yourself a little more.
And it all starts with your breath.
Free Breathwork Practice