Fight Electronic Apnea in One Go
Ever notice when you’re waiting for Twitter to load, email update, or bluetooth device connection? Are your muscles tense while you wait for the technology to work? Annoying your phone, does your phone temporarily turn into a damn DMV for a full six seconds?
Writer Linda Stone calls this apnea by email , and while she recommends the scientifically dubious Buteyko breathing method to combat it, you don’t need to retrain your breathing to relax a little at times like this.
Anytime you look forward to your technology, just take a few deep breaths. Become aware of what you are waiting for and tell yourself that instead, you are giving yourself a few seconds to take a break. Call it tiny meditation, call it mindfulness, whatever. But if you’re as tense as I am when I switch from Wi-Fi in the front room to Wi-Fi in the back room, you’ll find that it’s just helpful to switch your brain from “I’m annoyed!” to “I breathe.” for a second.