Staring at a screen? You're probably not breathing.

I often receive books from publishers hoping to feature their authors on my podcast. Occasionally, I notice clusters of titles exploring similar themes, and a recent wave of books felt like canaries in the mental health coal mine.

In the past month alone, I've been sent four books on burnout. Clearly so many people feel overstretched, frazzled and frustrated. Our digital devices and screens play a big role.Two of my closest friends recently told me that they feel anxious and depressed, because of their relationship with their phones.

One said she can’t go more than ten minutes without checking her device and struggles to focus, even on her kids. The other told me he gets anxious when sat in front of his work computer for no discernible reason.

Both of them were aware that smartphones can turn people into dopamine junkies, but neither of them knew about the phenomenon called ‘screen apnea’. When staring at screens, lots of people unknowingly hold their breath or breathe erratically. This can have a huge knock-on effect on the nervous system and our stress levels.

This was something touched on in my favourite of the burnout books I got, which is called Breathe, Rest, Recover. It is written by yoga therapist and rest activist Fiona Agombar, who is this week’s guest on the podcast.

I have mild asthma and have explored numerous ways to harness the power of my breath for wellbeing. I would actually go so far as to say that training my breathing has had a bigger impact on my energy and stress levels than anything else I have done (and I’ve done a lot), particularly improving my sensitivity to CO2.

A few years ago, I was waking up unrefreshed and my then girlfriend (now wife) pointed out that I was holding my breath while I was asleep. I told my doctor, who brushed me off, so I took matters into my own hands and eventually decided to start taping my mouth at night. The improvement in my sleep was rapid.

Breathing through your nose is vital, as it releases nitric oxide, filters the air, promotes deeper breathing and improved lung function among other things. A lot of people have heard about mouth taping (I talked about it with James Nestor on the podcast a few years ago), but few understand the critical role that carbon dioxide plays.

CO2 is not just a waste gas – it’s essential for regulating oxygen delivery, blood pH, and overall physiological balance. When you feel an urge to breathe, it’s not because of a lack of oxygen but due to a buildup of CO2.

Tech apnea disrupts our natural breathing patterns. Instead of slow, relaxed breaths, we tend to gulp in air quickly and shallowly. Over-breathing in this way messes with our CO2 balance, which sends stress signals to the brain. Anxiety and even panic ensues.

It is therefore vital to increase our tolerance to CO2. The more CO2 you can have in your bloodstream without feeling an impulse to take a breath, the more relaxed, energetic and resilient you feel. I can absolutely testify to this fact. Three tools in particular have been crucial in improving my CO2 sensitivity.