- Girlboss Daily
- Posts
- WTF is Email Apnea and Do We All Have It?
WTF is Email Apnea and Do We All Have It?
80% of people unconsciously hold their breath or drop into shallow breathing when they respond to emails or texts.
Girlboss Daily
February 11, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Lara here, Girlboss’ contributing writer! 👋
Did you hold your breath for a second when you saw this email pop up in your inbox? Whether you were nervous that it was from your nightmare boss or that client who’s never satisfied, there’s a name for that brain blip we all experience: email apnea. Spoiler alert: it’s not good for you!
Other stuff the Girlboss team is yapping about on Slack:
Is the “pilates aesthetic” rubbing you the wrong way, too?
Don’t forget this finishing touch for Valentine’s weekend!*
Why we’ve started writing “worry lists.”
💼 Job of the day: If your formative years were spent at the Warped Tour, listen up: Vans is hiring a Director, Financial Planning and Analysis Global.
👀 These are 10 of the highest-paying jobs for introverts.
👻 Snapchat better watch out: Instagram is testing out a rival app.
🤰 Wait, did you know that the state of New York grants pregnant workers paid leave?
Bouqs
Flowers for Valentine’s Day Are Always a Good Idea
No one has ever been disappointed by flowers, right?! Whether you’re treating yourself, surprising your girls, or setting the table for a Valentine’s or Galentine’s get-together, Bouqs makes it easy to have beautiful blooms all weekend long.
Their flower boxes arrive farm-fresh and last longer than your average grocery store bouquet, making them perfect as a centerpiece you can admire for days to come!
WTF is Email Apnea and Do We All Have It?
You know all that calming breathwork you do during yoga class? 🧘♀️ It might be time to start implementing it during your workday: researchers have found that 80% of people unconsciously hold their breath or drop into shallow breathing when they respond to emails or texts, as reported by Real Simple. 🫨
This phenomenon was playfully coined as “email apnea” back in 2007 by Linda Stone, a former executive at Apple and Microsoft.
TBH, we’re a little disturbed that we’re still feeling its effects almost 20 years later: yet another reason why we should be listening to women in tech! 😤 Apparently, these starts and stops in our breathing can put us into fight-or-flight during the workday, exacerbating our stress and anxiety.
The good news? It’s not terminal! Here’s how to fix it.
🧘♀️ Sit up straight, FFS!
Poor posture at your desk can actually increase the likelihood of email apnea, because being hunched over compresses your chest and naturally leads to shallower breathing. If ever there was a reason to invest in a proper desk chair, this is it!
💨 Take a one-minute breath reset
Breathwork is proven to regulate the nervous system and interrupt stress cycles (something we could all use more of in our workday!), and considering that breathing is literally the easiest thing we can do with our bodies, incorporating a little breathwork into your work routine can go a long way. After every meeting, take one minute to mindfully breathe in for four seconds and out for six seconds. Repeat as needed. Placing your hand on your stomach or under your nostrils can help ground you in the physical sensation.
🪶 Lighten your load
If you’re anxious about spelling or grammar mistakes in your emails, use a browser extension like Grammarly or Hemingway to edit your grammar, spelling, punctuation, or flow. While we don’t recommend letting these tools (or ChatGPT, for that matter) write all of your emails for you, they can be useful as a more sophisticated spell-check that will have you hitting “send” with confidence.
💪 Establish boundaries
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: setting clear boundaries with work helps prevent burnout and sets you up for long-term success. In this case, it can be as simple as turning off email notifications on your personal phone or carving out specific times in the day to check and reply to emails. In our experience, most emails don’t actually require a one-minute response time.
POLL: Do you think you have email apnea? |
What Team Girlboss has been loving lately.
🌶️ A Valentine’s gift you’ll both love to use!? Lovehoney’s Romance 12-Piece Gift Set is a spicy little discovery box designed to liven up your night… or the entire weekend. Hot tip: everything is up to 70% off right now, so let’s just say… sparks will fly.
🧧 Fancy a little extra luck the next time you travel? Monos just launched its first-ever Lunar New Year Collection, and the limited-edition red leather luggage tag is the sweetest way to celebrate the Year of the Horse everywhere you go.
🌿 Contributor Lara had sworn off makeup wipes until she discovered Natracare’s biodegradable, organic, and compostable Makeup Removal Wipes—not only are they better for the environment, but they’re gentle on her skin, too. Plus, it’s a woman-founded and led company!
🩸 Your next period deserves Diva’s new Cramp Care Bundle: from leak-free protection to targeted cramp relief, it’s got everything you need for a comfier period.
🥥 Ouhh, Trader Joe’s just brought back their Thai Coconut Pancakes (hot tip: they’re sooo good in the air fryer).
📱 FLEX Social Media & Associate Storytelling Professional, Marriott International
Get ahead (and save time) by automating your job applications.
*This link is sponsored. Apply to advertise in Girlboss Daily here.
Reply