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Low Signal
Nervous System Overload

Nervous System Overload

Why Notifications Make You Jumpy

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Andrew Devlin
Apr 22, 2025
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Nervous System Overload
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Ding.
Your heart jumps.
A flash of tension runs through your chest. You pause—mid-task, mid-thought, mid-breath.

Maybe it’s a text. Maybe it’s breaking news. Maybe it’s a Slack ping, a calendar alert, or a stranger liking something you posted six days ago.

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