“Technostress” — constant emails, notifications and digital demands — is overwhelming employees and reshaping attention, wellbeing and productivity. Lecturer Alane Daugherty, a wellness expert and coordinator of Love Button Lecture Series in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, says the brain can become conditioned to perpetual stress.

“We get addicted to stress, too," she explains. "Our brain gets kind of lazy, and it wants what feels familiar.” She recommends intentionally stepping away from screens and building regular breaks into the workday to help reset the nervous system. “We need to have intentional times built in” to allow our bodies to reset to calm.

This story was originally published by Fast Company on June 26, 2026.