Your heart slows a little on every exhale: that's the brake, and slow breathing presses it. Evidence: solid
The double-inhale pattern comes from a trial where five minutes a day for a month improved mood more than meditation did. Three breaths in the moment hasn't been tested, and one lab study found that breathing on instruction doesn't relax people the way a spontaneous sigh does. So: the daily practice has a study behind it, the emergency version is a reasonable bet. Evidence: worth trying
If you get dizzy, stop.
Same theme: In the moment
In the moment
Cold water on the face
Cold tap, face in your hands, hold your breath, fifteen to thirty seconds. Repeat twice.
1 minEvidence: decent
In the moment
Hear it today, answer tomorrow
When criticism at work lands hard, say "Let me think about that. I'll come back to you tomorrow." Then go back tomorrow.
no timeEvidence: worth trying
In the moment
Hum for a minute
Before the hard call or the hard talk: mouth closed, one low hum on each long exhale. A minute.
1 minEvidence: worth trying