Does Your Inbox Take Your Breath Away? Let's Talk Email Apnea

80% of people do this without realizing it 😱

Hey, how's your breathing right now? 

Take a moment to pay attention. 

Are you breathing shallowly? Maybe even holding your breath, which you didn’t realize until now?

If you're reading this while barreling through your inbox** there's a good chance you have email apnea. 

Don't worry, you're far from alone – and I've got a plan to help you breathe easier.

Email WHAT?

Apnea. 

It means your breathing stops.

You know when you open your inbox, and BAM! A flood of unread messages, urgent requests, and looming deadlines hits you like a tidal wave? 🌊

Without even realizing it, you might find yourself holding your breath or breathing very shallowly as you scroll through the digital chaos. It's a sneaky little stress response that’s triggered when we’re feeling overwhelmed.

And it’s been a topic du jour on TikTok lately… probably because a recent study found that a whopping 80% of people change their breathing patterns while dealing with emails.

Yikes!

By the way, calling it “email” apnea is too narrow… because these moments you stop breathing also happen when you check social media and text your friends.

So if you’ve got more messages in your DMs than in Gmail, well, lah-dee-f*cking-dah. You’re not off the hook. 

The Effects of Holding Your Breath

Does it really matter, though? 

Yes it does. 

This so-mindless-we-don’t-even-recognize-it habit has real consequences on your energy, focus, and stress levels. It's like your body is constantly in "fight or flight" mode, even when you're just trying to reply to Karen from accounting to approve some expenses.

Over time, this constant state of low-grade stress can impact your overall well-being, mental clarity, and… wait for it…

Even your ability to focus on those important emails in the first place. Oh, the irony.

So let's talk about some practical ways to keep breathing – calmly – even when faced with a mountain of emails, DMs, texts, and carrier-pigeon messages. 

Trapped in email hell? Don’t forget to breathe.

4 Breathwork Tips to Outsmart Your Email Apnea

1. Create a Habit of Remembering to Breathe (Seriously)

The first step to conquering email apnea is realizing you’ve been holding your breath like you’re in some kind of inbox showdown… and you! Will! Fight! It! To! The! Death! 🤼

Really, though, before you dive headfirst into that sea of unread emails, take a minute to check in with your breathing. 

Is it happening?

No? Time to fix that.

Humor me, if you will. As soon as you’re done reading this, try this harmless little exercise. 

Pick up your phone, unlock it, and go to your favorite messaging app. While you’re going through these motions, think “email apnea”.

No need to actually open a message… just open the app. Think about email apnea and take another breath or two with the app open as you see all the messages in your inbox.  

Put your phone down and turn off the screen. 

Then, repeat the whole exercise 6 more times. 🤳

Picking up your phone or tablet and specifically thinking about topic 7 times in a row helps you set up a new habit. That’s according to BJ Fogg, the founder of Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab and author of the book Tiny Habits.*** 

Your very awareness of email apnea when you pick up your devices will help you remember to breathe while reading and place you among that illustrious 20% who can walk and chew gum inhale, exhale, and comprehend words all at the same time.

2. Lengthen Your Exhales

Feeling tense? 

The quickest way to unwind without pouring yourself a glass of something stronger is to stretch out your exhale. 

Think of it as your body’s built-in “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” button.

Try a pattern where you spend a few minutes inhaling for 4 seconds, and exhaling for 6.

3. Take a Break Before Your Desk Becomes a Crime Scene

Staring blankly at your screen doesn’t count as a break. If your inbox is making you feel like you’re chained to your desk, it’s time to step away. 

Not dramatically, unless that’s your jam – in which case, go for it. 

Either way, challenge yourself to get up every hour. Stand up, stretch, and take a walk (yes, even if it’s just to the fridge). Breathe slowly and evenly while you’re at it. 

Your body will thank you, and unless you’re a magician, alllllll those emails will still be there when you get back.💡

4. Forget Inbox Zero. Go for Inbox Zen.

In case you’re harboring notions of getting through all those messages, don’t do it. 

Let me ask you: if you haven’t read something from last month, why would you come back to it now, when it’s old information? 

Wouldn’t you rather be brainstorming business ideas, or doing a hobby, or hanging out with your kids? 

If you really want to try it though, or if you want to spend a bit of time batch deleting, here’s how to make it a moment of calm. 

Throw on some relaxing music—bonus points for choosing binaural beats—and pair it with some mindful breathing. You can pace your breaths with clicks of the delete button. 

Inhale as you delete 4 emails. Exhale as you delete 6. 

Ahhhhh. 

You can’t stop all the emails from coming, but you can make them go away. While taking care of your nervous system at the same time. 

This is why breathing rules. 🤘

Last Gasp

“Your inbox doesn't control your oxygen supply.” ~ Me

Have you noticed email apnea creeping into your workday? What have you done (if anything) to manage it? Let me know – I read every comment and message (and I promise to breathe while doing it!).

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