Manoush Zomorodi, host:
Hello, I’m Manush.
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Zomorodi: …And this is the grand finale of BODY ELECTRIC Season 2. This season, we’ve been getting away from screens and incorporating movement into our lives with special 5-minute episodes. We walked and talked with a bunch of people, including a physiologist, a world-renowned memoirist, and an emergency physician. We also did longer episodes on how having earphones in all the time is affecting us, how our intimate relationship with chatbots is affecting our health (sometimes good, sometimes not so good), and how our use of technology is affecting our breathing. In the breathing episode, we heard from former Microsoft executive Linda Stone. She coined the term screen apnea and developed her own special technique to keep technology from disrupting her health and breathing, so we wanted to bring Linda back for this final episode. I think that’s so inspiring. It starts with her keeping a special tool, a kazoo, next to her laptop at all times.
Linda Stone: Yeah. Take a break and play the kazoo. Sit down or walk around and play the kazoo.
Zomorodi: This might be one of the weirdest and best tips we’ve ever gotten in this series.
Stone: Yeah, and honestly, you could take three minutes and walk around and do “Yankee Doodle,” and that might be more fun than drinking a glass of water.
ZOMORODI: (Laughter) That’s great. OK, great.
Stone: Should I bring a kazoo? You can bring a kazoo.
ZOMORODI: Yes. (Laughs) I hope you get a kazoo.
Stone: I have to go to another room.
Zomorodi: Yes, I can still hear you. Okay, so I’m sitting at my desk, rocking back and forth, flexing my muscles.
Stone: What would you like for your kazoo? We can…
Zomorodi: Oh, so you’re taking requests too.
Stone: …”Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
Zomorodi: Of course.
Stone: Now, I confess that I do a lot of “Yankee Doodle.”
Zomorodi: Yeah, maybe I should sing along to help me catch my breath. I don’t have a kazoo.
Stone: I wish you had done that, because when you play the kazoo, you can really feel your abdominal muscles activate.
Zomorodi: I know.
STONE: (playing kazoo).
ZOMORODI: (Laughter) Okay. (Singing) I’m the real, living nephew of my Uncle Sam.
STONE: (playing kazoo).
Zomorodi: (humming) Oh, Linda, you’re hilarious. I love it.
STONE: (playing kazoo).
ZOMORODI: And then she came along.
Stone: If you could, well, if you could, what I love about “Yankee Doodle” is that it really activates the whole body…
Zomorodi: (Laughs) Yes, that’s true.
Stone: …And activates your abdominal muscles.
Zomorodi: Can I just say I feel a lot better? I’ve been at my desk all day and I was planning on taking a break. I really was. But I ended up not taking a break…
Stone: Manoush, if you give me your address, I’ll send you a kazoo.
Zomorodi: (Laughter) Okay. That’s right. But wait, there’s one more thing. You mentioned another breath that you can take at any time to get things going.
Stone: A physiological sigh. Want to try this with me?
Zomorodi: Oh yeah. Should I agree with that?
Stone: You can do it standing or sitting…
ZOMORODI: Well, we’ll take a break and then continue.
Stone: …it’s really effective either way. And if you do it eight times…
Zomorodi: That’s right.
Stone: …it can lower blood pressure. So, for a long time…
ZOMORODI: Okay.
Stone: I’ll elaborate.
ZOMORODI: Okay.
Stone: Take a long, deep breath in through your nose.
ZOMORODI: (Breathing).
Stone: Hold your breath and take a short inhale through your nose.
ZOMORODI: (Breathing).
Stone: Hold your breath and then take a long exhale through your mouth.
ZOMORODI: (Exhaling).
Stone: Do it at least three times, because I think after three times you’ll start to see the benefits. Now, take a breath.
ZOMORODI: (Breathing).
Stone: Take a short breath.
ZOMORODI: (Breathing).
Stone: Take a long breath.
ZOMORODI: (Exhaling).
Stone: Take a long breath.
ZOMORODI: (Breathing).
Stone: Take a short breath.
ZOMORODI: (Breathing).
Stone: Take a long breath out through your mouth.
ZOMORODI: (Exhaling).
Stone: Did you notice anything?
ZOMORODI: Well, it’s calm.
Stone: Yes, it’s very calming and it helps me to come back to my body. I can feel my feet on the floor.
Zomorodi: Let me ask you a question. No offense, but (laughter) is it OK to do that while working on a computer? Or does that defeat the purpose of what we’ve been talking about?
Stone: I use the physiological sigh all the time.
Zomorodi: Oh really?
Stone: I use it when I’m waiting for an elevator that’s taking forever to come. I use it when I can’t sit still, when I get an email or I’m overwhelmed with all I have to do. I use it at night before I go to sleep. I use it when I get to the doctor’s office and I get white coat syndrome before they take my blood pressure. I use physiological sighs all throughout the day, and personally, it’s the best breathing technique I’ve found.
ZOMORODI: It’s been a real pleasure, Linda.
Stone: Well, I love what we’re doing with BODY ELECTRIC. Thank you.
ZOMORODI: Thank you so much for joining us.
Stone: Okay. Take care.
Zomorodi: See you then.
Stone: See you then.
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ZOMORODI: Linda’s someone special. Well, thank you so much for joining us for this five-minute kazoo break. If you try out Linda’s kazoo practice, send us a photo or a voice note at bodyelectric@npr.org. We’d love to hear what you think. And even easier, you can also find me on Instagram at @manoushz.
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ZOMORODI: So, you’re probably wondering what’s next for BODY ELECTRIC. Yes, we’ve come to the end of a fantastically fun and motivating Season 2, but BODY ELECTRIC lives on. Why? Because our newsletter has been an unexpected big hit. Tens of thousands of people have signed up, which is really amazing. So, while we’re working on new audio, the newsletter will keep on going. Every two weeks, you’ll get an email with tips, the latest research, profiles of people who are using technology to live better lives, and more. As we’ve learned, you don’t have to feel exhausted and worn out at the end of the day. It’s not easy, but even after hours on Zoom or email, being together can help you feel clearer, more energized and more fulfilled. Let’s keep it going. Recruit the people you know to ride it out with us through the rest of 2024 and beyond. If you haven’t already, go to npr.org/bodyelectric and subscribe. We’ll keep you updated on all things BODY ELECTRIC. In the meantime, thank you so much for being here. We’ll talk again soon.
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