The after-work reset: How to breathe away the day before you walk in the door

You turn off your car, step through the door and you’re met with conversation, dinner prep, family needs, or the quiet hum of your own space.

But mentally, you’re still at work.

You're replaying a conversation, planning tomorrow, or trying to decompress while feeling disconnected.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Many professionals struggle with the transition between work and home, especially if your job is demanding, fast-paced, or emotionally taxing.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need hours to reset. A simple breathwork and mindset ritual can help you leave the stress of the day behind so you can show up fully present.

In this guide, we’ll cover a five-part breathwork practice to release tension, calibrate your nervous system, and walk through the door feeling like yourself again.

Why you need a transition ritual

Your nervous system doesn't know the difference between your inbox and your living room. If you've been “on” all day, it takes intentional effort to help your body shift into a new state.

Without a reset, you might notice:

• Difficulty connecting with your partner or kids

• Irritability or emotional fatigue

• Mental replay of work conversations or decisions

• Feeling like you're always half-present, everywhere you go

A short breathwork practice acts as a bridge between your two worlds, helping you pause, breathe, and begin again.

The science of transitioning with breathwork

Breathwork is one of the most effective ways to shift your internal state quickly and gently.

Here's what happens when you breathe with intention:

• Your parasympathetic nervous system activates, creating calm and clarity

• Your heart rate slows, reducing anxiety and tension

• Cortisol and adrenaline drop, helping you feel emotionally regulated

• You return to presence, instead of staying stuck in problem-solving mode

Five breath techniques to reset your body and mind

1. The wave breath 

Best for: Creating rhythm and releasing the momentum of the day

How to do it:

1. Inhale through your nose, imagining the breath rising from belly to ribs to chest

2. Exhale, visualizing the wave flowing back down, from the chest to the ribs and belly

3. Keep the motion soft and continuous

4. Continue for 3 - 5 minutes

Why it works: Wave breathing restores natural flow and helps discharge accumulated tension. It mirrors the ocean, a rhythm of in and out, rise and release, offering a soothing way to transition.

The wave breath helps to shift the momentum of the day.

2. Anchor breath 

Best for: Grounding into your body and letting go of emotional residue

How to do it:

1. Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds

2. Exhale through your mouth for 6 seconds

3. Bring your awareness to a physical anchor. This might be your feet on the floor, hands on your lap, or your breath in your belly

4. Continue for 2 - 3 minutes

Why it works: Anchor breath gives you a tether to the present moment. When you’re emotionally scattered, this practice brings your energy back to your body and creates a felt sense of safety.

The anchor breath grounds you and creates a sense of safety.

3. Coherent breathing 

Best for: Resetting your internal rhythm and reducing mental noise

How to do it:

1. Inhale through your nose for 5 seconds

2. Exhale through your nose for 5 seconds

3. Repeat for 5 - 10 minutes

Why it works: Coherent breathing creates balance between inhale and exhale, which helps stabilize mood and quiet an overactive mind. It’s simple, discreet, and highly effective after a chaotic workday.

The coherent breath helps to quieten the mind after a chaotic day.

4. Grounding breath 

Best for: Creating emotional separation from work and reconnecting with the present

How to do it:

1. Sit or stand tall with both feet planted on the ground

2. Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds

3. Exhale through your mouth for 6 seconds

4. With each exhale, visualize stress or lingering thoughts releasing into the earth

5. Continue for 3 - 5 minutes

Why it works: Grounding Breath helps you physically and energetically disconnect from work. It’s ideal when you’re coming home with a heavy mind or tension in your body.

The grounding breath helps to release tension and stress from the body.

5. Colour breathing 

Best for: Clearing lingering energy and inviting in calm, connected presence

How to do it:

1. Choose a calming color e.g., blue, green, lavender

2. Inhale and imagine breathing in that color

3. Exhale and visualize releasing a darker color that represents stress or tension

4. Repeat for 3 - 7 minutes

Why it works: Colorr breathing blends breath with visualization, activating your imagination to shift emotional and energetic states. It’s especially powerful if you feel stuck in stress mode and need a symbolic reset.

The colour breath uses visualization to create an energetic shift in your mood.

Creating your after-work breath ritual

You can do this ritual in the car before you go inside, on a walk around the block, or sitting quietly in your home.

Try this 5-minute routine:

1. Wave breathing – 1 minute

2. Anchor breath – 1 minute

3. Coherent breath – 1–2 minutes

4. Colour breathing – 1 minute

Or simply choose the breath that matches your mood that day.

Pair it with a simple mantra:

• “I release the day.”

• “It’s time to return to me.”

• “I’m here now.”

• “Home is a space I choose to enter with intention.”

Bonus tips for a smooth transition

• Leave work at work (energetically): Visualize closing the mental tabs one by one

• Change your environment: Shift your clothes, lighting, or music to create a new mood

• Create a “buffer zone” habit: A short walk, shower, or cup of tea post-breathwork helps signal that your new chapter is beginning

Final thoughts: you don’t have to carry the day with you

The most powerful way to protect your peace at home isn’t by fixing every work problem, it’s by creating a moment of pause between who you are at work and who you are when you walk in the door.

You don’t need an hour of silence or a spa day. You just need five conscious minutes.

So next time the day follows you home:

Pause.

Breathe.

Let it go.

You deserve to arrive fully.


If you found this helpful, you might also like to check out:

• How breathwork can help you set boundaries without guilt or drama

• Exhale the critic: a breath ritual to release negative self talk

• From overwhelm to calm: how to use breathwork to regulate your nervous system

  Ready to experience the power of breathwork in action? 

• Click here to download Master Your Breath, Own The Moment, your free step-by-step guide to reducing anxiety and increasing confidence in just five breaths.