You're Alive, Don't Miss It

"You might be holding your breath right now and not even realize it. You are reading these words, but a part of you is likely somewhere else entirely. Most of us live in a state of suspended animation, mentally circling in a vortex of "what-ifs" while our bodies go into autopilot. A single worry triggers a loop, and suddenly you are disconnected from the room you are sitting in and the people you are with."

"This isn't a figure of speech. It is a biological reality. Researcher Linda Stone coined the term screen apnea to describe the way we unconsciously hold our breath when absorbed in devices. This signals the sympathetic nervous system to engage fight-or-flight mode. In this state, your internal chemistry works against your ability to relax, connect, or feel the awe of being alive."

"We all know that place. You walk away from a meeting and don't just wonder how it went...you perform a forensic autopsy on every word you said. You lie awake, not resting, but drafting transcripts for arguments that will never happen. These loops don't just distract you; they consume you. You become a time traveler, stuck re-living the past or pre-living the future, completely missing the only time that actually exists."

Many people unconsciously hold their breath and mentally dissociate while engaged with screens or worries, entering a state of suspended animation. Screen apnea activates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers a fight-or-flight chemical response that undermines relaxation, connection, and sensory awareness. Mental loops replay past interactions or pre-live future scenarios, consuming attention and narrowing perceived possibility. These loops cause missed social cues, tasteless meals, and unawareness of surroundings. Cognitive strategies often fail to break the loop. Sensory engagement with the living world—feeling, breathing, and noticing—provides a counterintuitive cure that restores presence and awakens appreciation for being alive.

Read at Psychology Today