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Gary Fahey: The Navy SEAL breathing hack that’s helping Aussie execs and workers survive stress

Announcement posted by Invigorate PR 10 Jul 2025

Everyday stress is no longer just a background buzz, it's a silent epidemic pushing Australians to the brink. From missed texts and traffic jams to performance reviews, difficult meetings and doomscrolling, these small emotional hits called micro-stressors are adding up fast. According to leading mental resilience and crisis intervention expert Gary Fahey, they're doing real damage.

 

"People aren't falling apart from a single event, they're being eroded by the thousand emotional papercuts they absorb each day," Fahey said. 

 

Fahey is a former elite federal police officer and now one of Australia's most in-demand crisis intervention and performance specialists.

 

When your brain taps out, your decisions fall apart

 

Fahey said the real danger lies in how the brain responds to these small, repeated stressors.

 

"When you're overwhelmed by micro-stress, your logical brain literally shuts down. That's when people lash out, freeze, make impulsive decisions or feel trapped by problems they just can't seem to solve," he said.

 

This isn't about weakness, it's about biology.

 

"When the emotional brain is in charge, the prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for reason and forward thinking goes offline. You can't solve a problem from within the problem, you need a circuit breaker," Fahey added.

 

Breathing is your emergency reset button

 

Fahey teaches clients including CEOs, business owners and execs, athletes, frontline workers and parents to use Box Breathing, a military-grade tool used by Navy SEALs to calm the nervous system and regain control.

 

The technique is simple:  Inhale for four seconds. Hold for four. Exhale for four. Hold again for four. Repeat for two minutes.

 

"This isn't about meditation or mindfulness," Fahey said.

 

"It's about flipping the switch from emotional chaos to cognitive clarity."

 

The 'physiological sigh' - a fast-track to calm

 

Another tool Fahey recommends is the Physiological Sigh, a method proven in neuroscience labs.


Take two inhales through the nose, the first slightly deeper than the second, then exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat three times.

 

"It's one of the fastest ways to calm the nervous system and regain perspective," he said.

 

"This type of breathing can be done at your desk, on a park bench, in a hallway.  It is simple and fast and can be undertaken at work without anyone seeing you doing it. It enables you to very quickly regain control and achieve calm."

 

You can't reason with a tantrum - especially your own

 

"Ever tried reasoning with a three-year-old who wants icecream? It doesn't work. The same applies to us," Fahey said.

 

"When our survival brain is in charge, logic taps out. The highest performers aren't the ones who push harder, they're the ones who step back, breathe, reset and then move forward."

 

Take a breath. Then take control

 

Fahey's message is clear. If you're making decisions under stress, you're likely making the wrong ones. You don't need to collapse to justify slowing down. Take a breath, then take control.

 

About Gary Fahey

 

Gary Fahey is a former high-ranking officer with the Australian Federal Police, now one of the country's most in-demand crisis intervention specialists and workplace performance experts. After experiencing his own highly publicised breakdown, he founded a highly respected consultancy to help individuals and organisations navigate stress, high performance and personal resilience.

Today, he works with leaders across a broad range of industries to prevent burnout and restore performance and life balance. His clients include CEOs, athletes, first responders, entrepreneurs and everyday Australians committed to taking back control of their lives.

 

Garyfahey.com

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Merv Williams

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