Why your brain can’t turn off

We are living in a culture that rewards constant responsiveness, says Ken Martz, a professor of psychology at Purdue Global. The brain is constantly searching, scanning and reacting, and thus, it is never recovering.

Martz, an author of nine books, says that our current culture of nonstop digital input and responsiveness forces the brain into a continuous threat state, treating emails and notifications as urgent. This creates a nervous system issue rather than a time management problem, where the brain becomes stuck and loses the ability to trust that it is safe to relax.

In this video, Martz discusses the impact that ‘always on’ mentality can have on the brain and the body. He discusses the root cause of this stress and the role digital overstimulation plays, and he provides practical steps to help people power down and reset.