Aditi's Monologue

Today, I’m writing about emotional exhaustion in the digital age, and I know about 82% of you will relate to it. Did you read the title of this post and immediately chime in a “YESSS” to the word “Overstimulation”? I know, I know. One of the realities of today’s world is that we’re all overstimulated, all the time. We take pride in staying productive/being busy. We halfheartedly complain about having no time to rest, even when we know that even when we’re “resting,” our brains aren’t.

There’s a podcast playing in the background, twenty-seven work notifications lighting up Teams/Slack, three random “breaking news” alerts (because apparently everything is breaking now), one super urgent My Gate entry approval blinking vigorously, a call from the Blinkit rider asking for which floor of the office to deliver the package on (when the address clearly says its the 1st floor) and oh look – I just remembered I had to initiate Return of that Amazon impulse buy item before the return window closes, again.

We’re not just busy anymore. We’re overstimulated.

And it’s not surprising because this has been verrrry gradual for us. Lured by the pull of convenience and the might of technology, we are now in the age of constant inputs, zero recovery time, and infinite tabs – both in our browsers and in our minds.

And it’s exhausting to me, not gonna lie. Not the physical kind of exhaustion that sleep can often fix, but the kind that sits quietly in your chest, that low hum of I just can’t do even one more thing, even if I technically can. You know what I mean? Of course you do. (I’m talking especially to you, millennials)

What Happens to Our Brains in the Age of Overstimulation

The human brain wasn’t designed to process this much: this fast, this often, and from this many sources. Every notification, breaking news headline, Instagram notification, or “urgent” work message gives us a little dopamine hit. It’s addictive. The brain loves it. LOVES it.

Until it doesn’t.

Because dopamine highs without recovery lead to attention fatigue, emotional overload, and a nervous system that stays perpetually in mild fight-or-flight. It sounds scary, right? I studied this deeply in my recent course in Psychology & Neuroscience of Mental Health, and it opened my eyes wider.

In therapy, this often shows up as restlessness or irritability: you’re not sad or anxious, just… tired of everything.

And in advertising (my daily ecosystem), we used to call it staying “clued in” or “plugged in.”
And while my millennial brain loves it, drives motivation from it – there are days when it feels more like being plugged into a power socket. [I don’t know how to insert the smiling-crying emoji here, but that is what it feels like]

Emotional Exhaustion vs. Physical Fatigue

Talking about emotional exhaustion in the digital age, let’s discuss exhaustion that feels almost chronic. There’s tired, and then there’s tired tired. Physical fatigue is when your body needs a nap. Emotional exhaustion is when your soul does.

It’s the feeling of being drained even after a weekend off. It’s the sudden dread when you see yet another WhatsApp notification. It’s that moment when even the things you love (like travel, music, or good conversations) start to feel like effort.

It’s not burnout (yet). It’s a slow emotional leak.

Don’t try to deny it, I know we all feel it. And it’s quietly becoming our new baseline.

Overstimulation at Work: The Hidden Creativity Killer

Let’s talk about the workplace, specifically my field of digital advertising, because overstimulation here isn’t a side-effect; it’s practically the job description. One needs to stay up-to-date with several things like AI & Tech, social media trends etc that are relevant to our industry, in order to do justice to our clients – along with BAU. So, between Outlook, Teams, shared Documents, Sheets & Decks, and various tools and dashboards, there’s barely room for a deep breath, let alone deep work.

We often chase “creative wow factor” while multitasking through nine browser tabs, two brainstorm calls, and a last min pitch deck revision – all before lunch.

The irony? We work in communication, but most of us feel unheard, disconnected, and constantly behind purely because of being overstimulated. Yeah, it’s vicious.

Overstimulation doesn’t just drain us; it quietly kills creativity. Because creative thinking needs space, boredom, and silence. And none of those are on our calendars anymore. Not even if we switch our notifications off, because our mind is trained to be on alert for the next dopamine hit, our nervous system has learned to be in a state of constant waiting – has it not?

The Emotional Cost of Constant Connectivity

Here’s what I’ve realized through both therapy and managing large teams: overstimulation often hides deeper avoidance.

We keep our minds busy so we don’t have to feel.
We scroll so we don’t have to sit with discomfort.
We multitask so we don’t have to confront our limits.

We’ve normalized overstimulation as ambition, but most of the time it’s distraction in disguise.

And no, time management won’t fix it. It’s not a scheduling problem. It’s an attention problem.

How to Recharge and Reset in a Noisy World to Remedy the Emotional Exhaustion in the Digital Age

You don’t need a Himalayan retreat (preferably with no access to a mobile network whatsoever) to reset your nervous system (though if you can go for one, I’m already hoping to switch places with you). What you need are small, consistent shifts. Try these:

1. Digital Pause Moments

Schedule tiny 15-minute breaks where you do nothing. No scrolling, no background noise. Just… pause. Sit/walk with yourself. Try to unlearn the urge to look at your phone notifications. Let thoughts flow. Just be.

2. Sensory Boundaries

Create “quiet zones”. This can be mornings without screens, no-scroll lunches, or an evening without background YouTube.

3. Emotional Labeling

Simply naming your emotions (“I’m anxious,” “I’m overwhelmed”) helps your brain regulate them. Yes, this is a simple exercise, but it’s powerful.

4. Reclaim Boredom

One of my favorite things to say to my 13-year-old daughter is “Only boring people get bored” – yes, a line from Mad Men. But I also explain to her that boredom is important because it teaches you what to do wiht yourself when there is time and no mechanical tasks. We need to stop filling every gap in our day with stimulation. Some of our best ideas – and our calm, come when our brain is allowed to wander. This is how some of the great poetry was written, believe it or not.

5. For Leaders and Managers

I can’t say this enough – if you lead teams, please for the love of God, model downtime. Don’t glorify busyness. Tell your team it’s it’s okay to think. People follow the energy you normalize.

Although overstimulation is a massive topic and I can go on for post after post on it, here is an attempt to sum this post up: As someone who leads teams in the digital advertising world, writes for a living, inexplicably titillates people for deeper conversations, and is also training as a therapist, I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way: rest is not indulgence. It’s intelligence.

I’ve stopped pretending that “being always on” is a badge of honor. It’s actually a slow burnout disguised as productivity, and I am no longer subscribed to that school of thought.

Now, I measure my days not by how much I do, but by how often I feel present.

Maybe peace isn’t found in switching everything off.
Maybe it’s in learning how to stay human in the middle of all the noise.

PS: I recently wrote about How To Stop Being a People-Pleaser, and a lot of you have loved it. Do read it if you haven’t already.

And connect with me on LinkedIn, Medium, Substack, X, and/or Instagram for more musings and tips.