Breathwork & Intention Setting: How to Begin the Second Half of the Year With Clarity, or in other words, A Reality Check for the Second Half of the Year That Won’t Make You Roll Your Eyes.
Discover how breathwork and intention setting can help you reset and refocus for the second half of the year. A simple, grounded practice to reconnect with what matters.
Right, so we’re officially past the longest day now. The summer solstice has been and gone, and if you’re paying attention to these things, you might have noticed something subtle shifting.
The days are still gloriously long, but there’s a different quality to the light now. Less of that “everything is possible!” energy of early summer, more of a gentle “okay, what now?” feeling.
Which makes this the perfect time for a proper reality check about the rest of the year. Not the kind where you beat yourself up for not achieving everything you planned in January (we’ve all been there), but the kind where you actually ask yourself what matters.
Breathwork and intention setting can offer a grounded way to begin the second half of the year with clarity.
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Why Late June is Actually Perfect for This Stuff
Here’s what I’ve noticed. Most people set intentions at completely insane times.
- After watching an inspiring Instagram reel at 11pm.
- New Year’s Eve when they’re happily tipsy and feeling optimistic.
- Monday mornings when they’re in full “this week will be different” mode.
But late June? This is when you’ve got some actual data to work with. You’ve lived through half a year. You know what worked, what didn’t, and what made you want to hide under a duvet.
You’re not setting intentions from bizzarro-land anymore. You’re setting them from lived experience. Much more useful.
This moment, right after the Summer Solstice, offers a natural pause and a shift in energy. If you’d like to deepen your reflection with seasonal practices, my Summer Solstice breathwork post offers a beautiful way to connect breath and intention with the turning of the year.
Before we dive into how to combine breathwork and intention setting, let’s look at what usually goes wrong.
The Problem with Most Intention Setting
Let’s be honest – most intention setting is complete bollocks.
We sit there with our journals, trying to think our way to profound insights about what we want. We make lists. We create vision boards. We use our brains to figure out what our hearts want, which is a bit like using a hammer to perform brain surgery.
Your head is brilliant at many things, but knowing what you actually need? Not so much. Your head thinks you need to be more productive, lose weight, and finally organize that cupboard. Your body knows you need more rest, better boundaries, and to stop checking your phone every thirty seconds.
A Different Way: Let Your Body Have a Say
This is where breathwork and intention setting shift from a head-based task into a whole-body experience Not because it’s mystical or magical, but because it’s the quickest way to get out of your head and into your actual experience.
When you focus on your breath, your nervous system stops having a minor panic attack about everything on your to-do list. Your body relaxes. And from that calmer place, you can actually hear what matters to you, rather than what you think should matter.
Simple breathing techniques like these are actually recommended by the NHS to help manage stress and anxiety. They’re grounded, accessible, and incredibly effective.
The “What Actually Matters” Practice
This isn’t rocket science, but it is different from the usual approach:
Step 1: Get Settled
Sit somewhere comfortable. Put your phone in another room (seriously, do this). One hand on your chest, one on your belly.
Step 2: Breathe Like You Mean It
Breathe in for 4 counts, out for 6. Do this about 7 times. Not because it’s spiritual, but because it tells your nervous system it’s safe to stop scanning for threats and actually think clearly.
There’s solid science behind this too – Berkshire Healthcare NHS explains how controlled breathing affects your stress response, helping your body shift from alert to relaxed.
Step 3: Ask Better Questions
Now, while you’re still breathing calmly, ask yourself:
- What have I learned about myself in the past six months that I didn’t know before?
- What am I pretending is important that actually isn’t?
- What would make the rest of this year feel good in my body, not just look good on paper?
Don’t think too hard about the answers. Let them bubble up naturally.
Step 4: Keep It Real
Write down whatever comes up, but keep it simple. Not “I will transform my entire life and become a different person,” but something like “I want to feel less rushed” or “I want to remember what I actually enjoy.”
The best intentions aren’t grand declarations. They’re quiet commitments to yourself.
Making It Stick (Without Being Weird About It)
You don’t need to create an elaborate ritual here. Though if lighting a candle helps you take it seriously, go for it.
What actually helps is connecting your intention to something you do regularly. Maybe every morning when you have your first cup of tea, you take three breaths and remember what you’re choosing to focus on.
Or maybe you write your intention on a piece of paper and stick it somewhere you’ll see it. Not to pressure yourself, but to gently remind yourself what matters to you when life gets noisy again.
The Point of All This
The second half of the year doesn’t have to be about grinding harder or achieving more. It can be about getting clearer on what you actually care about and letting that guide your choices.
Your intention isn’t a stick to beat yourself with. It’s a compass to help you navigate when everything feels a bit much.
If this kind of check-in through breathwork and intention setting resonates with you, you’ll love our sessions in the Breathwork Women’s Circle. You might enjoy breathing through these questions with other people who also occasionally lose track of what matters. That’s exactly what we do in our sessions — create space to pause, breathe, and remember who we are underneath all the doing.
Remember: You don’t have to optimize yourself into a different person. You just have to remember who you already are.