Performing Under Pressure: Building Resilience in High-Stress Work Environments
Zsombor Szabo
Zsombor is a breathwork coach and corporate performance specialist with a background in high-pressure professional environments. After seeing how stress eroded performance across his teams - and in some cases led to burnout - without anyone having the tools to regulate it in real time, he turned to breathwork as a practical, science-backed alternative.
He has since delivered nervous system regulation workshops to 100+ companies - many of them S&P 500 organizations - reaching 20,000+ employees with his team at Balance Breathing. Through hundreds of conversations with HR leaders and executives, the 3R Performance Model was developed: Regulate, Recover, Reframe.
Zsombor's view is simple: pressure isn't going away. What separates top performers isn't the absence of stress - it's the ability to work with it. Based in Amsterdam, he works with companies globally.
- Recording: Yes
- Language: English / Hungarian
- Duration: 45 min / 15 min
Session Summary
This practical and science-backed masterclass explores how pressure affects performance - and what the highest performers actually do differently to stay clear, focused, and in control when it matters most. Drawing on neuroscience, behavioral research, and insights from working with 100+ companies, Zsombor introduces the 3R Performance Model - Regulate, Recover, Reframe - a framework for managing pressure in real time and over time. Participants learn why stress quietly degrades decision-making, working memory, and focus, and leave with simple, usable tools that take only 60 seconds to reset and perform better under the conditions modern work actually demands. The session includes a 12-minute interactive guided breathing session with 3 simple breathing techniques for common work situations.
Interaction
During the session, Zsombor engages the audience through a 12-minute live breathwork practice, guided self-assessment moments, real-world case studies, and reflection prompts. Participants experience the tools firsthand rather than only hearing about them.
Key Learnings
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Why pressure makes you perform worse — and how to recognize the early signals
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How to stay clear and in control when stakes are high
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A 1-minute breathwork reset to stop stress from hijacking your thinking
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The 3R Performance Model used by high performers to handle pressure
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How to apply nervous system regulation inside a normal workday
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Detailed session description
This highly practical, science-backed masterclass tackles one of the defining challenges of modern work: how to perform under sustained pressure & stress - without burning out. Drawing on neuroscience, conversations with 100+ company leaders, and the experience of his team delivering nervous system regulation workshops to 20,000+ employees, Zsombor unpacks why pressure quietly erodes focus, decision-making, and working memory — and why willpower alone isn't enough.
The session is built around active participation. Participants engage in guided self-reflection to identify their own stress triggers, explore the science of stress - including the Yerkes-Dodson Law and the role of the nervous system - and experience a 12-minute live guided breathwork practice, with stress reduction measured in real time and before-and-after results shown on-screen. The techniques are designed for real work moments: calming the nerves before an important meeting, easing the struggle to fall asleep, or restoring focus during the afternoon dip.
Zsombor then introduces the 3R Performance Model - Regulate, Recover, Reframe - a clear framework for managing pressure in the moment and protecting capacity over time. Attendees leave with a deeper understanding of their stress response, a 1-minute reset for high-stakes moments, and a practical framework for sustaining performance under real workplace conditions.
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