email apnea

n.

The unconscious and temporary suspension of regular breathing while checking and reading email. Also: e-mail apnea.

Example Citations:

Researchers say that the stress of not being able to process information as fast as it arrives, combined with the personal and social expectation that, say, you will answer every e-mail message, can deplete and demoralize you. ... Author Linda Stone, who coined the term "continuous partial attention" to describe the mental state of today's knowledge workers, says she's now noticing, get this, "e-mail apnea": the unconscious suspension of regular and steady breathing when people tackle their e-mail.

—Paul Hemp, " Death by Information Overload: http://hbr.org/2009/09/death-by-information-overload/ar/1," Harvard Business Review, September 1, 2009

The idea is to develop better breathing habits, so your not experiencing apnea (holding your breath) in situations that you may not be aware of as stressful. These small situation or "pebble stones" never seem to register as something significant, however, collectively they add up. For example the dangers of email apnea (holding or shallow breathing, while doing email) have been warned against.

—Jayme Albin, " Breathing your way to a happier and healthier life: http://askthecognitivebehaviortherapist.com/2009/04/02/breathing-your-way-to-a-happier-and-healthier-life/," Ask the Cognitive Behavior Therapist, April 2, 2009

Earliest Citation:

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.

—Linda Stone, " Just Breathe: Building the case for Email Apnea: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-stone/just-breathe-building-the_b_85651.html," The Huffington Post, February 8, 2008

Notes: Related Words:

breatharian

e-mail bankruptcy

e-mail fatigue

e-mail hygiene

information fatigue syndrome

interrupt-driven

mailstrom

oxygen bar

Categories:

E-mail

Diseases and Syndromes

Since coining the phrase "email apnea" in early 2008, I've broadened the definition to: temporary cessation of breath or shallow breathing while working or recreating in front of any screen. While doing email, SMS, or anything on a computer or mobile device, while watching television, our posture is often compromised which compromises our breathing.

I generally refer to this as email apnea, a term that immediately resonates -- people recognize their own behavior instantly. I also sometimes refer to this as screen apnea. The name email apnea seems to be more resonant even though the phenomenon goes beyond email.