Email Apnea

Holding one’s breath unconsciously while reading an email.

Exploring the pitfalls of working online, Philip Delves Broughton noted in The Evening Standard:

Many workers are said to suffer from continuous partial attention, a consequence of never having the time to focus on a single activity. These are the ones who email during meetings or surf the web while on the phone. Nothing ever gets their full attention. Another new term isemail apnea, the unconscious suspension of breathing as people deal with their emails.

The term appears to have been coined by Linda Stone, who wrote in a February 2008 article for The Huffington Post:

I’ve just opened my email and there’s nothing out of the ordinary there. It’s the usual daily flood of schedule, project, travel, information, and junk mail. Then I notice … I’m holding my breath. …

I wanted to know - how widespread is “email apnea?” I observed others on computers and Blackberries: in their offices, their homes, at cafes – the vast majority of people held their breath, or breathed very shallowly, especially when responding to email. I watched people on cell phones, talking and walking, and noticed that most were mouth-breathing and hyperventilating. Consider also, that for many, posture while seated at a computer can contribute to restricted breathing.

Does it matter? How was holding my breath affecting me?

I called Dr. Margaret Chesney, at the National Institute of Health (NIH). Research conducted by Chesney and NIH research scientist, Dr. David Anderson, demonstrated that breath holding contributes significantly to stress-related diseases. The body becomes acidic, the kidneys begin to re-absorb sodium, and as the oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitric oxide (NO) balance is undermined, our biochemistry is thrown off.

Stone defined email apnea as: “a temporary absence or suspension of breathing, or shallow breathing, while doing email.” (Stone also coined“continuous partial attention.”)