Unbillable

6 November 2025

How England's footballers handle pressure (works in court too)

Read time: 1:43 minutes

7 weeks until Christmas.

The end-of-year pressure is mounting. Clients finishing projects. Partners chasing invoices. You need calm, clarity, and focus to reach the finish line.

I know. You don't have time for complicated tools.

So here's one breathing technique that takes 10 seconds to learn and works instantly:

The 5–5 breathing technique.

My clients love it. The English football national team used it to win a penalty shootout at Euro 2024.

Düsseldorf, 6 July 2024, 6 PM. Quarter finals against Switzerland. 1:1 after 120 minutes. With England's poor penalty record, you'd expect shaky legs. Instead? England scored 5 out of 5. Every shot: convinced, composed, cold as ice.

Their secret? Conscious breathing to steady their nerves under pressure — the 5–5 technique.

How does it work?

Simple:

• Breathe in through your nose for 5 seconds.
• Breathe out through your nose for 5 seconds.
• Repeat for a few breaths (or longer if you like).

That's it. Easy to learn. Works when pressure is high. And the best part: no one notices.

My clients use it even in challenging calls and court hearings. Their way to get back in control, fast.

The science behind it?

A study by Lin et al. (2014) found slow breathing at 5.5 or 6 breaths per minute (bpm) with equal inhale–exhale timing:

• Significantly increases heart rate variability (HRV).
• Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your recovery mode).
• Significantly increases feelings of relaxation — all compared to normal breathing.

Translation: better nervous system function and more calm.

While 5.5 bpm was optimal in the lab, England's 6 bpm worked perfectly when it mattered.

You’ll get lost timing inhale and exhale at 5.45 seconds each.

Simple 5-in, 5-out is what you can actually execute when your heart is pounding.

Perfectionism kills performance.

Remember this:

When pressure hits — control your breath.

Try the 5–5 technique in one high-pressure moment this week. Before a difficult call. During a tense hearing. When your inbox is overwhelming.

Notice what shifts. Then let me know (I reply to every email).

Make this end-of-year sprint a little easier,

Jan

P.S.

Think you don’t have time for breathing techniques? Just try the 5–5 for 3–6 breaths. Takes 30–60 seconds. Time we easily spend scrolling our phones between meetings.

Worried controlling your breath might break your focus in the moment? Start using the 5–5 technique before high-pressure situations. Once you’ve mastered this, use it in the challenging call or court hearing.

Know a lawyer who could use a secret weapon? Share this.

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