Getting Started with Balance Breathing

Which path fits your situation?

Are you an admin setting up an organization? Go to the admin guide

Joining Your Organization

Your admin has set up Balance Breathing. You just need to sign in, connect the right calendar, and activate the right messaging app for your account.

1. Sign in with your work account

   1. Go to the Sign In page.
   2. Click Sign In With Google or Sign In With Microsoft.
   3. Use your work account (for example you@acme.com).

   You'll be matched to your organization by email domain. No invite code needed.

2. Complete the onboarding wizard

   Connect your work calendar

   Connect Google Calendar if you signed in with Google, or Microsoft Calendar if you signed in with Microsoft. Balance looks at upcoming meetings in the next 7 days so it can schedule reminders. It does not modify your calendar.

   Activate your messaging app

   If your organization uses Slack, click Connect Slack so the bot can DM you personally.

   If your organization uses Teams, open the Balance app in Teams once so your personal chat can be linked for reminders.

   This is separate from the org-level install your admin completed. There is always a per-user activation step before Balance can message you directly.

   Set your preferences

   • Reminder timing — minutes before a meeting
   • Quiet hours — when to suppress reminders
   • Max reminders per day — daily cap
   • Session duration — exercise length

3. Done

   Click Save to finish. You'll land on your Member Dashboard where you can see upcoming sessions, stress history, and manage connections.

Getting Started on Your Own

No one has set up an organization account yet, but you want to start using Balance Breathing. The exact path depends on whether your workplace uses Slack or Microsoft 365.

1. Make Balance available in your workplace tool

   Slack

   1. Add Balance Breathing to Slack.
   2. Install it to your work workspace.
   3. Approve the requested permissions.

   This creates a free organization for your workspace and installs the bot so it can send reminders.

   Teams

   1. Ask a Teams admin to upload or approve the Balance app for your tenant.
   2. If your tenant allows it, install the Balance app in Teams for yourself.
   3. Open the app once after sign-in so your personal chat can be linked.

   The Microsoft path is tenant-based, so the first step is making the app available in your Microsoft 365 environment.

2. Sign in with your work account

   After the app is available, sign in on Balance.

   1. Click Sign In With Google or Sign In With Microsoft.
   2. Use your work account.

   You'll be linked to the organization for your workspace or tenant. Your email domain is set so coworkers can join automatically.

3. Complete the onboarding wizard

   1. Connect your calendar — Google Calendar or Microsoft Calendar, depending on how you signed in.
   2. Activate your message channel — connect Slack or open the Balance app in Teams once.
   3. Set preferences — timing, quiet hours, max reminders, session duration.

   Click Save and you're set.

Someone Added Balance Already

A coworker already made Balance available in Slack or Teams and you want to try it too.

1. Sign in with your work account

   1. Go to the Sign In page.
   2. Click Sign In With Google or Sign In With Microsoft using your work account.

   An organization already exists for your workspace or tenant. You'll be matched automatically if your work email domain matches the original setup.

2. Complete the onboarding wizard

   1. Connect your calendar — Google Calendar or Microsoft Calendar.
   2. Activate your message channel — connect Slack or open the Balance app in Teams once.
   3. Set preferences — timing, quiet hours, max reminders, session duration.

   Click Save and you're done.

What to Expect Day-to-Day

Before eligible meetings, you'll get a reminder from Balance Breathing in Slack or Teams:

Your stress ratings help you track your own wellbeing and give your admin aggregate team insights.

Messaging Connection Reference

Org-level setup vs personal activation

There is always an org-level step and a personal step. Slack uses install + connect. Teams uses approval/install + opening the personal app once.

Troubleshooting