Mental Health, Screen Apnea, & Doomscrolling: how to minimize the impact on mental health

Have you encountered the term "screen apnea"? It refers to the common tendency to hold our breath or engage in shallow breathing while using digital devices, similar to how we often forget to blink when we are deeply focused on something. The term was introduced by Linda Stone, a former Microsoft executive, who recognized this phenomenon in herself and others.

In combination with "doomscrolling," it's a recipe that can fuel anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. Doomscrolling involves the compulsive act of continuously scrolling through negative or distressing news on our feeds. That chronic habit can exacerbate screen apnea, as the anxiety and stress from consuming such content can further disrupt our breathing patterns.

The interplay between screen apnea and doomscrolling can have significant implications for our mental health over time. Prolonged exposure to negativity, combined with the physical stress of improper breathing, can contribute to anxiety, depression, and various mental health challenges. If this cycle persists, it may lead to chronic stress, adversely impacting cognitive function, sleep quality, and immune response.

However, there is a silver lining and small choices we can make to achieve more balance. By cultivating awareness of screen apnea and moderating our doomscrolling habits, we can enhance our mental well-being and mitigate the stress associated with these behaviors. While focused on the screens of our phones or computers, every few minutes we can interrupt irregular breathing by taking a few slow and deep breaths. That engages our parasympathetic autonomic  nervous system, the part of our central nervous system that manages the processes in our body related to rest, restoration, and digestion--functions that the body can engage in when in a calm and unthreatened state.