Beginner question: how does emotional exhaustion or chronic stress affect memory?

Hi everyone,

I’m very new to psychology and neuroscience, so please excuse me if this is a basic question.

I’ve been reading a bit online about emotional exhaustion and chronic stress, and I keep seeing mentions that they can affect the brain — especially memory and difficulty remembering things. This really fascinates me, because I’d like to understand why stress might make it harder to remember information or stay mentally clear.

I’m not coming from an academic background, and I haven’t read scientific papers before. I’m mainly trying to understand this topic at a conceptual level first.

I’m especially interested in:

• How stress or emotional exhaustion affects memory

• Whether this involves specific brain areas

• Whether these effects are temporary or longer-lasting

I’m open to beginner-friendly book recommendations that explain this from a scientific perspective.

Thank you!