Science shows it to be so. According to the journal Science, thinking and performance are both hindered by types of stress ranging from mildly upset to fearful. The underlying neurobiology proves what many of us already know. The ‘thinking brain’, which turns on learning and creativity, shuts down during stress and gives way to ‘primitive brain’ which reduces our capacity to take in new information and generate new ideas. The feeling of being somewhat powerless in a larger framework like the global economy only adds to the problem.