The average knowledge worker is interrupted every 6 minutes by a notification. Slack, email, SMS, calendar, system, app.
Each interruption triggers a small cortisol release — the brain interprets it as a low-grade attention demand. Each cortisol release takes 15–20 minutes to clear from the bloodstream.
The math doesn't work. You're never not running on residual cortisol.
What this does to cognition
- Working memory shrinks
- Decision quality drops
- Patience erodes
- Mood becomes brittle
- Deep work becomes physically harder to enter
The fix
Aggressive notification triage. Most apps don't deserve to interrupt you. Calendar, urgent comms from people you've explicitly opted in for — that's it.
Block periods of Do Not Disturb. The compounding nervous-system relief from even one hour of no-notification work is enormous.
Where MHODE fits
Calming compounds support nervous-system recovery from the residual load. But the behavioural intervention has to come first.
Food supplement. Not intended to treat or cure.