Are You Holding Your Breath While You Work? (The Hidden Stress of Email Apnea)

Have you ever realised you’re holding your breath while answering emails? I hadn’t—until I did. This episode of Joy At Work dives into a phenomenon called email apnea, and trust me, once you notice it, you won’t stop noticing.

I’ll share how a former Microsoft exec stumbled on this strange breathing pattern, why it matters to our energy, focus, and joy, and what I’ve been experimenting with to breathe better—even while emailing.

You’ll hear:

• The origin story of email apnea
• What dancers and test pilots know about breath that we don’t
• Six small, weird (but wonderful) experiments to reset your breathing
• How movement, breathing apps, and even watching a dog can help!

This one’s short but mighty. If your workday feels heavier than it should, this may be why.

🎧 Prefer video? Watch all my Joy at Work Experiments on YouTube:

🔗 Watch the Experiments on YouTube

🔍 Explore more episodes on joyful movement & breathing:

• Pain-Free Work with Rune Abo
• Movement is Medicine with Jon Field
• Lawrence van Lingen on YouTube

🌬️ Curious to experiment more?

👉 Check out all the Joy At Work Experiments