Five leading neuroscientists went on a wilderness vacation together recently to reflect on how digital technologies are changing the way we think and behave. They wanted to do this by doing something very simple – or at least it used to be simple – getting away from it all.

Today, it is almost possible. Even the remote lodge where they stayed, did not have television but had a wireless Internet connection.But as they head into the real wilderness where checking email or receiving phone calls is not possible (yes, there are a few of those places left!), they are going to find that they sleep better, can unwind, and have lost the nagging feeling of what messages await them. Yet still, until the last possible moment, one of the travelers is still checking email – for something urgent he is expecting.

Technology has redefined what “urgent” actually means. In the case of the scientist, he was hoping to receive an important email. But it was not something he would not be acting on – so nothing would change if he received it on that day or a few days later when he finished his vacation. But expectations have changed. If we send an email and expect a response, the expectation of a response starts as soon as we hit “send”. It does not matter that the other person may be away, sleeping, sick or whatever. We don’t need to catch people when they are next to a land line anymore. We will catch them one way or another – email, cellphone, IM, Skype, Facebook . . . You can run but you can definitely not hide anymore.

More studies are being done on what happens to memory when we give our brains a break from all the devices we are plugged into. This helps to shed more light on what all of the new stimulation we put our brains through today is doing to us. Memory is crucial to healthy mental functioning. It is responsible for what we let in, what we retain and what we forget.A University of Michigan study revealed that people can learn better after taking a quiet walk in the woods compared to a walk on a busy street. This is no surprise to anyone who meditates or simply maintains a schedule that includes quiet time in nature on a daily basis. The noise in our lives is not natural and not something we were born to cope with.

So what is the point? Let your brain relax. Make sure your kids are letting their brains relax. Make sure computers are not on all day and certainly not at night. Shut phones during meals and perhaps on weekends. Consider making certain hours or days digital-free.

Take a few minutes right now and look how wired your family is. At any given moment are your children either watching TV, texting, on the Internet or even doing a few things at once? Many children are spending much of their day connected to a device. Make sure they are giving their brains an occasional break from all that stimulation.