Your State Is Everything (And You Can Control It In 5 Minutes)

You already know this, even if you’ve never said it out loud:

Your state determines your performance.

Not just your strategy or your talent. Not even your effort.

Your state.

What Is “State”?

Your state is the combination of:

• Your nervous system activation level

• Your emotional tone

• Your mental clarity

• Your physical energy

It’s the difference between:

Peak state: Calm, confident, focused, energized, in flow

Survival state: Anxious, scattered, exhausted, reactive, overthinking

The same person, with the same skills and same circumstances.

Completely different outcomes.

How State Shows Up In Real Life?

In Sports:

Peak state:

• Body relaxed but ready

• Mind clear, present

• See opportunities, react fast

• In the zone, everything flows

Survival state:

• Muscles tight, breathing shallow

• Mind racing, second-guessing

• Miss cues, react slowly

• Body and mind fighting each other

Same athlete. Same training. Different state = different game.

 In Business:

• Clear decisions, confident action

• Creative solutions emerge

• Energy to execute

• Magnetic presence in meetings/sales calls

Survival state:

• Paralysis by analysis, can’t decide

• Stuck in the same patterns

• Exhausted but can’t stop

• Showing up depleted, people feel it

Same entrepreneur. Same strategy. Different state = different results.

 In Daily Life:

Peak state:

• Respond instead of react

• Energy for what matters

• Present with people you love

• Handle challenges without spiraling

Survival state:

• Snap at small things

• Too drained for anything extra

• Checked out, going through motions

• One thing goes wrong → whole day derailed

Same day. Same responsibilities. Different state = different experience.

The Problem: You’re Trying To Perform From Survival State

Here’s what most high achievers do:

They’re in a survival state (anxious, depleted, wired but tired) and they try to perform from there.

They think:

• “I just need to push through”

• “I’ll rest when I hit my goal”

• “More effort = better results”

But you can’t think or work your way out of survival state.

Your nervous system is running the show.

And if your nervous system is in survival mode?

• Your brain prioritizes safety over performance

• Your body holds tension

• Your decision-making gets worse

• Your energy depletes faster

You’re essentially trying to drive a Ferrari with the parking brake on.

The Solution: Learn To Shift Your State On Demand

They actively regulate their state before it matters.

Before the game. Before the pitch. Before the launch. Before the hard conversation.

And the fastest, most effective tool?

Breathwork.

Why Breathwork Is The Ultimate State-Shifting Tool

You can’t tell your heart to slow down. You can’t command your digestion to relax.

But you can control your breath.

And when you control your breath, you control your nervous system.

Different breath patterns = different states.

The Two Breathwork Practices You Need

PRACTICE #1: The Energizer (When You Need Activation)

• You’re sluggish, low energy

• Before a workout, competition, or performance

• Need to snap out of brain fog

• About to do something that requires high energy

The Practice: Power Breathing (3 minutes)

1. Stand or sit upright

2. Breathe in through your nose - sharp, full inhale (2 seconds)

3. Exhale forcefully through your mouth- like blowing out a candle (1 second)

4. No pause between breaths - continuous rhythm

5. Do this for 30 breaths (about 45 seconds)

6. After 30 breaths: take one deep inhale, hold for 5 seconds, exhale slowly

7. Repeat cycle 3 times

What this does:

• Activates your sympathetic nervous system (your “on” switch)

• Increases oxygen, wakes up your brain

• Raises energy and alertness

• Primes your body for action

When to use:

• Morning (replaces coffee)

• Pre-workout or pre-competition

• Mid-afternoon slump

• Before presentations, calls, launches

You’ll feel: Alert, energized, ready, focused

PRACTICE #2: The Regulator (When You Need To Calm Down)

• Anxious, overwhelmed, spinning

• Before bed (can’t shut your brain off)

• After intense work/training (need to downshift)

• Before important moments where you need calm confidence

The Practice: Box Breathing (5 minutes)

1. Sit comfortably, close your eyes

2. Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts

3. Hold your breath for 4 counts

4. Exhale through your nose or mouth for 4 counts

5. Hold empty for 4 counts

6. Repeat for 5 minutes (about 10-12 rounds)

Visualization (optional but powerful): As you breathe, imagine tracing a square:

• Inhale = draw the left side up

• Hold = draw across the top

• Exhale = draw the right side down

• Hold = draw across the bottom

What this does:

• Activates your parasympathetic nervous system (your “off” switch)

• Slows heart rate, relaxes muscles

• Clears mental chatter

• Shifts you from survival → safety

When to use:

• Before sleep (best sleep hack ever)

• Pre-competition, when nerves hit

• Before big meetings/pitches (calm confidence)

• After stressful events (reset)

• Anytime you’re spiraling

You’ll feel: Calm, grounded, clear, centered

How To Use These In Real Life 

For Athletes:

Pre-game routine:

• 2 hours before: Box Breathing (5 min) → calm your nerves

• 30 min before: Power Breathing (3 min) → activate your body

• Right before: 3 deep breaths, long exhale → centered and ready

 For Entrepreneurs:

• Wake up: Power Breathing (3 min) → energize your day

• Before big tasks: Box Breathing (3 min) → calm focus

Launch day:

• Before going live: Box Breathing → regulated confidence

• Mid-day energy dip: Power Breathing → second wind

Evening wind-down:

• Before bed: Box Breathing (5-10 min) → actually sleep

For Anyone:

• Morning: Power Breathing (wake up your system)

• Evening: Box Breathing (signal it’s time to rest)

As needed:

• Feeling anxious? → Box Breathing

• Feeling sluggish? → Power Breathing

• Big moment coming? → Box Breathing first (calm), then Power Breathing (activate)

The Practice Makes The Difference

Most people are victims of it. Whatever state they wake up in, that’s the state they perform from all day.

But you don’t have to be.

You can shift your state in 3-5 minutes.

Before the game. Before the meeting. Before the launch. Before the hard conversation.

You just need the tools.

And now you have two of them.

Try This Today

Pick one:

If you need energy: Set a timer for 3 minutes. Do Power Breathing right now. Notice how you feel after.

If you need calm: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Do Box Breathing. Notice how your body shifts.

That’s it. Just try one.

Your state will change. And when your state changes, everything else shifts too.

Want more practices like this every week?

My Substack subscribers get:

• State management tools for specific situations

• NLP exercises to rewire subconscious patterns

• Monthly live Q&A

The fastest ROI in your performance toolkit.

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What’s your go-to when you need to shift your state? Or do you just white-knuckle through it? Let’s talk about it...