Resilience and Joy at Work: How a Few Deep Breaths Can Bring You Back to Yourself

Resilience and Joy at Work: How a Few Deep Breaths Can Bring You Back to Yourself

When was the last time you paused at work (truly paused!) to ask yourself, How do I feel right now?

In the rush of deadlines, meetings, and endless to-do lists, it’s easy to lose sight of the two qualities that sustain us most in the workplace: resilience and joy.

Most of us know how important resilience is: our ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to changes, and keep moving forward. But what often gets overlooked is that joy fuels that resilience. When we feel a spark of happiness, gratitude, or calm throughout the day, we’re stronger, clearer, and more resourceful.

So what happens when stress, panic, or anxiety creep in and steal that spark?

You don’t need an hour-long break or a weeklong vacation to find your way back to yourself. Sometimes, all it takes is five conscious breaths.

Why Breathwork and Meditation Work

Meditation and breathwork aren’t just trendy buzzwords, and not all "woo!" They’re tools that reconnect you with your inner calm. When you slow down, even for a few moments, you step out of the chaos and into awareness. You notice the tightness in your chest. The racing thoughts. The way your shoulders hunch by default. And you get to decide—Do I want to stay here, or do I want to come home to myself?

A simple breathing exercise at your desk can do wonders. Close your eyes if you can, drop your shoulders, and take five deep, slow breaths—in through the nose, out through the mouth. Feel your feet on the floor. Feel the chair holding you up. Let your mind soften.

These moments don’t erase your stressors, but they do remind you that you are bigger than them. They help you reclaim your joy, so you can get back to work feeling steady, clear, and resilient.

This week, I invite you to notice when your joy feels distant at work. When you’re panicking before a presentation, when your inbox feels like an avalanche: pause. Take

Five.

Deep.

Breaths.

Maybe even set a daily reminder on your phone to close your eyes for one minute and just be.

You’ll be amazed at how this tiny act can restore your spark and strengthen your resilience—one breath at a time.

You deserve to feel steady and joyful at work. Keep breathing. Keep showing up for yourself. You’ve got this.