How Elite Leaders Use Box Breathing to Regain Control Under Pressure
A protocol once used by Navy SEALs is quietly becoming a foundational tool for deeptech CEOs, fund managers, and executive coaches navigating high-stakes decisions.
Table of Contents
Virtual Group Coaching – Train for Pressure, Build with Clarity
Upcoming conversations and events - Bio International and 10 New Livestreams
Reading List for Entrepreneurs and Investors from Series A to IPO
The Physiology of Calm
He looked composed at first — upright posture, crisp navy suit, slide deck in hand. The kind of precision that reminded me of Mark Zuckerberg, if Zuckerberg had better tailoring.
And honestly, I was glad to see it.
After nearly a year of working together, he had finally taken the rehearsal process seriously. He’d spent weeks refining his delivery, rehearsing transitions, anticipating investor objections — doing everything right on the surface.
It was a far cry from how he used to approach things.
“Preparation?” he once scoffed.
“Christian, I’ve been doing this for decades. I just walk in and improvise.”
That was a year ago — way before the Series B runway got short, before the pressure started tightening around the edges.
Now, here we were. And even with the polish, something felt off.
His fingers tapped — light, rhythmic, involuntary.
Not conscious. Not strategic. Just the body leaking stress.
Despite all the prep, he was still fighting something deeper: a quiet panic beneath the surface.
This meeting would decide the fate of his company.
He was a biotech CEO, preparing for an investment committee that would determine the outcome of his Series C.
He had refined the pitch, tightened the budget, and rehearsed every objection.
But he also knew: the company had just one month of runway left.
They were far past the point of no return.
Tomorrow’s meeting had to close the deal — or he and his team would be in serious trouble.
And it was clear — his mind knew the material. But his nervous system wasn’t convinced.
When I asked, “How do you feel right now?” he paused.
“Honestly? Not good. When I fail tomorrow…”
I cut him short. I didn’t want to let that thought take hold — not now, not this close to success.
So we stopped the rehearsal and began a different kind of preparation. One that didn’t involve pitch decks or talking points.
We recalibrated his nervous system.
The Hidden Driver of Poor Decisions and Bad Outcomes
In high-stakes environments, most professionals optimize performance through preparation, messaging, and mental rehearsal.
And then there are the “smartie pants” — the ones who do nothing at all, convinced they’ve mastered everything already. No need to rehearse. No need to reflect. Just walk in and wing it.
But when the big day comes, something changes. They step into the boardroom and feel it immediately.
Panic sets in.
Every minute leading up to the presentation feels like waiting for your own execution.
Sweaty palms. Shallow breath. Avoiding eye contact.
They radiate nervous, negative energy that breaks the room before they’ve said a single word.
Why?
Because they’ve overlooked the one factor more important than the pitch:
Physiological readiness.
While they may appear composed externally, the body is still in a reactive state — tightened chest, elevated cortisol, narrowed attention span.
These signals, largely unconscious, begin to override presence and perception long before the first slide clicks forward.
Under pressure, breathing becomes shallow. Thoughts speed up. Judgment slows down.
Cognitive flexibility declines. Listening weakens. Emotional reactivity rises.
Put simply:
The body overrides the intellect.
And once that survival loop kicks in, it’s almost impossible to snap out of it.
Can you imagine a free climber panicking with a 1,000-meter drop below?
A Navy SEAL team losing their nerve in a hot zone — everyone running around, shooting in all directions, instead of moving as a unit?
Or a pop star freezing mid-stage from a panic attack in front of 100,000 fans?
Picture Karol G, instead of smiling and walking calmly across the stage, rushing on only to stop dead at center — sweating, staring, doing nothing for an hour.
Yes, even CEOs of billion-dollar companies fall into this trap. Even Abraham Lincoln knew it — he famously wrote his “unsent letters” when emotion overwhelmed logic.
So what’s the solution?
Use the Warrior’s Method: Navy SEALs and the Science of Box Breathing
Karol G has mentioned in interviews that she uses mindfulness and time in nature to stay calm and grounded.
Both have a powerful effect on the nervous system — and both naturally shift our breathing into slower, deeper rhythms.
During my four decades of martial arts training, I learned just how central breathwork is to composure and clarity.
The old scrolls from Japan tell of the Kuji-in method, used by Samurai and ninja to master their mental and emotional state — especially under pressure.
Each Kuji links breath, visualization, hand gestures (mudras), and mantra to direct the mind toward a specific outcome.
Because when you’re on a battlefield — and your life is at stake — the last thing you want is to panic and start doing random things.
What saves you is pattern. Drill. Control.
That’s why warriors across centuries trained forms until they became automatic.
The best of them? Said to develop superhuman focus.
Let’s also not forget: many of those systems were designed to prepare 15-year-olds to enter war.
By modern standards, that’s not romantic. It’s terrifying — and humbling.
Today, we have science to back what ancient warriors knew instinctively.
And no group has distilled that wisdom into action better than the U.S. Navy SEALs.
They stripped mindfulness down to its core:
Box breathing — a method built to reset the nervous system on command.
The technique is simple:
Inhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
Exhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
Repeat for 4+ cycles
That’s it.
Within minutes, the vagus nerve engages. Cortisol drops. HRV improves.
And the body — previously in fight-or-flight — re-enters a state of calm readiness.
It works for special ops.
It works for free climbers.
It works for anyone training to keep their head when the stakes are high.
Those who practice daily eventually make it a reflex, not a technique. And that’s the difference between looking calm and being unshakeable.
For CEOs, the result is physical:
Posture softens. Gestures slow. Speech becomes calm, deliberate, and grounded.
You don’t just walk into a room as someone who knows the material. You walk in as someone who owns the room.
Because in the end, the real liability isn’t incoming stress. It’s not knowing how to reset from it.
Breathing as Neurobiological Strategy
Where’s the evidence?
Fair question. Let’s look at what we know.
Modern professionals live in a state of chronic sympathetic overdrive: alerts, deadlines, uncertainty, and relentless expectations — all of which quietly disrupt the body’s autonomic balance.
Even after a full night’s sleep or a weekend off, the nervous system may remain in a low-grade fight-or-flight state.
This results in:
Elevated baseline cortisol
Reduced heart rate variability (HRV)
Impaired emotional regulation
These aren’t mood swings. They’re physiological markers of diminished leadership capacity.
Now here’s where it gets interesting.
Box breathing, originally used by military special operations teams, is now clinically validated for its impact on the nervous system — particularly the vagus nerve and cardiovascular resilience.
Recent studies confirm what warriors already knew through experience:
A study published in the Cyprus Journal of Medical Sciences showed that 45 minutes of controlled breathing significantly reduced cortisol levels, the body’s primary stress hormone.
Research from the American Journal of Medicine demonstrated that slow-paced breathing increased heart rate variability, a key indicator of stress resilience.
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that breathing exercises led to measurable reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
A randomized controlled trial in Scientific Reports confirmed that regular breathwork improved mood and reduced anxiety and negative affect.
These aren’t fringe claims. They’re reproducible outcomes — delivered by one of the simplest, most accessible tools available: the breath.
So how is it possible that something this basic yields results that significant?
Because box breathing works with the body’s original operating system: the diaphragm and parasympathetic nervous system.
What Is Diaphragmatic Breathing?
Most adults breathe from the chest — short, shallow inhales that barely engage the lower lungs. It’s the breath of urgency, of adrenaline, of always being “on.”
Diaphragmatic breathing is the opposite.
It’s a slower, deeper rhythm that draws air all the way down into the belly, using the diaphragm — the dome-shaped muscle below your lungs that powers full, efficient respiration.
You’ll know you’re doing it right when your abdomen expands on the inhale and gently contracts on the exhale, while the chest remains relatively still.
This is the breath that activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the system responsible for calm, recovery, and executive clarity.
It lowers cortisol.
It stabilizes heart rate.
It widens your mental field of vision.
It gives you back access to choice under pressure.
This is how we were designed to breathe — before posture, pressure, and performance culture trained it out of us.
Kids naturally breathe this way. But society trains them to sit still, tense up, and override their breath. And so, the stress starts early.
Back to Box Breathing
Box breathing is just structured diaphragmatic breathing — made repeatable, measurable, and easy to use under stress.
It looks like this:
Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Exhale slowly through the mouth for 4 seconds
Hold again for 4 seconds
Repeat
Do it for four cycles. And your system begins to shift — back into clarity, calm, and control.
Because executive performance isn’t just about IQ or EQ. There’s no EQ, no SQ, no strategic thinking — if your nervous system is hijacked.
Box breathing gives you back access to your own brain. It’s the reset switch no one teaches — but every great leader eventually learns.
The Illusion of Willpower
Many founders and senior leaders overestimate the role of discipline — and underestimate the mechanics of composure.
They assume that because they’re motivated, they’re also regulated.
That grit alone will carry them through.
The data says otherwise.
Chest breathing. Shallow inhalation. Forward-leaning posture. All classic signs of sympathetic dominance — often mistaken for intensity.
But what they actually signal is the opposite:
Cognitive rigidity. Emotional volatility. A reduced capacity for nuance.
One of my clients — a CFO preparing to renegotiate a down round — began a simple protocol:
Five minutes of box breathing before every meeting.
A brief pause to feel his breath.
A few mindful repetitions.
And yes — I showed him a few of the Kuji mudras to pair with his breath.
We even tailored the mantras to match his situation.
Two weeks later, his colleagues began noticing something different:
More measured pacing
Sharper listening
A stronger, steadier presence
What changed?
Not his numbers. Not his deck. Not the macroeconomic chaos around him.
His nervous system.
He took back control.
Because in high-stakes environments, we don’t “rise to the occasion.”
We fall to the level of our physiological preparation.
How to Create the Hero’s Turning Point in Your Story
In my coaching work, the real shift happens when leaders understand this:
Calm isn’t the reward for good planning.
It’s the foundation that makes planning work.
And it begins with one insight:
“If I can control my breath, I can control my state.
If I can control my state, I can control my response.
And if I can control my response — I lead.”
Here’s the counterintuitive truth:
Breath control isn’t ancillary to performance.
It is performance.
When we breathe with intention, we don’t just oxygenate cells.
We anchor attention.
We reduce cognitive noise.
We access the executive functions required to make better choices.
The best leaders don’t always speak first.
They breathe first.
From Reactive to Ready
Before the decks. Before the data. Before the decisions —
Your body sets the limits of your leadership.
Box breathing offers a way to reclaim control — one breath at a time.
Here are three ways to start:
Pre-meeting: Take 90 seconds for four rounds of box breathing before any high-stakes conversation.
Midday reset: Build it into your lunch break. Five minutes with your breath. Maybe even a mantra.
Evening decompression: Use it to transition from performance mode to rest — so your body can actually recover.
Because here’s the final question:
If someone watched only your breathing patterns — would they believe you were in command?
Build Companies That Withstand Pressure
The moment you step into a high-stakes room—whether it’s a board meeting, a partner call, or a term sheet negotiation—your preparation shows.
But preparation isn’t just about pitch decks and strategy. It’s about your ability to stay clear, calm, and focused when the stakes rise.
That’s exactly what we train—every single week.
For €149/month, you’ll join a curated group of founders, investors, and operators focused on building companies that don’t just survive—but scale with conviction.
Here’s what we practice:
✅ Structuring ventures to compound value over time
✅ Navigating uncertainty with clarity and calm
✅ Turning bold ideas into aligned teams and investor-ready narratives
No startup theater. No posturing.
Just clear thinking, sharp execution, and frameworks that work in the real world.
🗓 Every Wednesday, you’ll receive a private invite to the next strategic coaching session.
If you're building something that matters, this is where you refine the muscle—under pressure, with peers who play to win.
Upcoming Conversations and Events:
Meet us at “Bio International”, June 16-18, 2025 in Boston, US
May 27, 2025 - 04:30 pm CET - Ella Balasa
June 3, 2025 - 03:00 pm CET - John Bason, CEO at nCage Therapeutics
June 10, 2025 - 01:30 pm CET - David Craig, CEO at Sarcomatrix
June 12, 2025 - 02:00 pm CET - Björn Cochlovius, CEO at Eleva GmbH
June 17, 2025 - 05:00 pm CET - Enis Hulli, GP at e2VC
June 24, 2025 - 02:00 pm CET - Kuntal Baveja, Pharma Executive
June 27, 2025 - 05:00 pm CET - Samuel Blackman, Google Ventures
July 01, 2025 - 03:30 pm CET - Clement Salque, VC at BioCube Ventures
July 08, 2025 - 01:00 pm CET - Jim Pulcrano, Adjunct Professor at IMD
July 17, 2025 - 06:00 pm CET - Jef Akst, Managing Editor at Biospace
Podcast Episodes and Clips
EP 158 - Rafael Rosengarten: Why 90% of Cancer Drugs Fail — and the Radical AI Fix You’ve Never Heard Of
EP 157 - Fabrizio Conicella: Why Europe Keeps Losing the Next Breakthroughs in Medicine
The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant
Why You Should Study The NVIDIA Way
Most entrepreneurs and investors dream of building companies that matter—10x to 100x outcomes that serve millions, maybe even billions of people.
But that kind of success isn’t random. It takes at least 20 years, countless pivots, and the ability to rally investors, employees, policymakers, and customers around a single, evolving vision.
Too many founders waste time benchmarking against mediocre peers. But average inputs create average outcomes. That’s why it doesn’t help to study the mediocre. Or even the merely “good.”
If your goal is to build something enduring—something that could one day serve billions or become a 100x exit—then it pays to study the few who’ve actually done it.
It’s like trying to become Bruce Lee. You don’t get there by training at the local gym and hoping for the best. You study the masters. You reverse-engineer what worked. You find people who’ve walked the path—or helped someone get there.
In business, if you're serious about scaling, study the outliers. NVIDIA is one of them.
The NVIDIA Way is that blueprint.
Tae Kim’s book takes you inside one of the most remarkable business stories of our era. It breaks down how Jensen Huang built NVIDIA into the foundational layer of the AI age—from a Denny’s booth in 1993 to one of the most valuable companies on the planet.
This isn’t a fairytale. It’s a detailed, practical look at how elite founders actually navigate long games.
And if you're serious about building one, this is required reading.
Quote of the Week
Know a world-class founder, investor, or scientist pushing the limits of deep tech?
Send your recommendations my way!
Get on the Beginner’s Mind Show and reach over 19,000+ entrepreneurs, investors, and deep tech thought leaders:
Longevity, preventive medicine, and well-being;
pharma and health tech;
artificial intelligence;
climate change;
and entrepreneurship and investing.
Send a mail to cs@cslifescienceinvest.com
Support the Show:
If you enjoy the Podcast Beginners Mind, you can help support the show by doing the following:
Sponsor: Reach an influential audience of 19,000+ leaders and decision-makers with a paid subscription.
Subscribe on Apple | Spotify | YouTube | and leave a comment and rating
Interested in sponsoring the show? Feel free to drop me an email to discuss options. Here are the success metrics:
Top 10% of all podcasts globally*:
*Rating Updated May 2025
46% of our listeners are decision-makers in the US, tuning in from the world’s biggest investment hubs:
Reach an influential global audience of 19,000+ entrepreneurs, investors, and decision-makers across Europe and the U.S. Tune in on 30+ platforms.
Community Partner:
These companies make the community, this newsletter, and the Beginner’s Mind Podcast possible, so go check them out and thank them for their support!
You are receiving this Newsletter because you either signed up, we met at a conference, or you attended one of the events organized by Christian Soschner. Feel free to unsubscribe if you don’t find this valuable.
Nothing in this email is intended to serve as financial advice. Do your own research.