Refer to Small Shifts.

Helping people have more for the things they want to do.

People are often given advice, referred to activities or connected with support that could benefit their health. But knowing what might help, or having access to it, doesn't always mean they're able to put it into practice.

Someone might want to become more active, spend time with friends, join a community group or make changes to their health, but find that what they're already managing leaves little energy or opportunity for anything else.

Time, finances, health and personal circumstances can all play a part. So can how the body responds to the demands of daily life.

Why Small Shifts?

Ongoing stress, poor sleep, fatigue or physical tension can affect how someone feels and what they have available, particularly alongside work, caring responsibilities, health concerns or other pressures.

These difficulties don't always require a clinical intervention, but they can still have a considerable impact on daily life.

Small Shifts is a personalised four week programme that brings together breath science, physiology and practical experience to help people understand how they respond to life's demands, what influences their recovery and what they can do to support both.

The programme can work alongside existing services or activities, helping people address some of the factors affecting their ability to take part.

Small Shifts may be suitable for someone who:

  • Finds that everyday demands are taking a lot out of them.

  • Experiences ongoing stress, physical tension or difficulty switching off.

  • Finds that poor sleep, tiredness or difficulty recovering affect what they feel able to do.

  • Has less energy or attention for family, friends, interests or activities they enjoy.

  • Wants to make changes but struggles to find the energy or opportunity to put them into practice.

  • Has been offered advice, activities or other support but is finding it difficult to engage or maintain changes.

Programme information.

Duration:

Four weeks, with one 45-minute session each week.

Delivery:

One-to-one, online.

Approach:

We start with the person's circumstances, what they'd like to change and what's currently affecting them. The programme combines practical education and guided experiences, with the focus and practices adapted to their individual needs and responses.

Who can take part:

Adults who are medically stable and able to participate in gentle, low-intensity practices. Individual suitability is discussed before starting.

Cost and funding:

Small Shifts is a paid programme, with self-funded places available. Funded or subsidised places may also be available through community funding, partner organisations or commissioned services. Costs and funding options are discussed before starting.

Progress and outcomes:

We want people to leave with a better understanding of what's affecting them and practical ways to support their response and recovery. We review progress against their individual goals and, with their consent, can share a brief outcome summary with the referrer.

Safeguarding and professional practice:

Small Shifts uses a trauma-informed approach, with safeguarding procedures, relevant practitioner training and professional insurance in place.

Small Shifts is not a substitute for medical care, psychological treatment, crisis support or specialist rehabilitation.

What does the programme cover?

  • Understanding how we respond

    We explore how the body responds to physical, mental and emotional demands, including the roles of breathing, muscular tension and the nervous system.

    Participants learn how these responses can change depending on the situation, what they've already been managing and their current physical state. We also explore breathing efficiency, how breathing patterns interact with the body's responses and where unnecessary effort may be contributing to how someone feels.

  • Recovery and regulation

    We explore how demands can accumulate, how sleep and recovery are influenced by our physiology and circumstances, and what may help us adjust as demands change.

    Participants experience different approaches to breathing, releasing unnecessary muscular tension and directing attention. We explore how these can influence our immediate state, how they might support recovery and when they may be useful in different situations.

  • Working with challenge

    Not every demand needs to be reduced or avoided. We explore how the body responds as demands increase, how to recognise when something is becoming more challenging and how to adjust our response or the demand itself.

    Participants have opportunities to explore manageable challenges, notice how their breathing and physical responses change, and consider how they recover afterwards.


  • Learning and adapting

    We bring together what participants have noticed and experienced throughout the programme.

    What's changed? What's helping? Are some things taking less out of them? Are they recovering differently?

    We use that information to identify what they want to continue, what may need adjusting and how they can apply what they've learned beyond the programme.


Our experience and research.

Small Shifts builds on practical experience delivering breathwork and physiology-based programmes within NHS settings, informed by research into breathing, stress, sleep and recovery.

In a 2025 evaluation with Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, a structured breathwork programme was associated with statistically significant improvements in self-reported stress and sleep quality among participating NHS staff.

These findings have helped inform the Small Shifts approach, which combines an understanding of physiology with practical experiences people can apply in their own lives

Read our published study in the South West Clinical School Journal (2025).

Make a referral.

If you're supporting someone who may benefit from Small Shifts, please complete the short referral form

We'll review the referral and contact the person to discuss their needs, check suitability and explain the available funding or self-funded options.

If Small Shifts is a good fit, we'll arrange their first session.

Make a referral.