There is a 30-second check worth building into your working day. No app, no quiet room, no expertise.

It covers three areas: jaw, neck, and breath.

Start with your jaw. Move your bottom jaw round in a circle. Most people find more tension there than they expected. It is one of the earliest and most reliable physical signs of strain, but the brain often stops registering it because it has become so habitual.

Then move to your neck and shoulders. Gently press a finger into your chin to guide it gently backwards, moving your head back and lengthening the back of your neck. Then gently press your chin forward again. Repeat until you notice what offers more comfort. If you spend long periods at a screen, this can help reset some of that forward pull. Roll your shoulders and let them hang.

Then check your breathing. Is it high in the chest, or lower into the bottom ribs? Is it through the nose or the mouth? Breathe in through your nose and place your index fingers on the lowest rib on each side. Breathe and feel the movement of the lower ribs press into your index finger tips. Notice any expansion in your belly with this.

The brain normalises tension patterns and starts treating them as normal. This quick sequence helps shift attention from the demands of your day back to your body.

Three areas. Ten seconds each. Any point in the day. Done.

That interruption is often where change becomes possible.

Read more about functional breathing and stress here: Why Breathing Shapes Stress and Performance