It’s a temptation.
It’s a temptation.
If being stuck at home wasn’t stressing enough, we are also faced with an exponential number of decisions daily.
Should we go out?
Wearing a mask?
Should I go for a run?
How about joining the zoom workout at noon?
Press the kids on homeschooling today?
How about booking a cheap flight for July?
If you are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated and a bit tired of second-guessing yourself, it’s natural.
The effect is called decision fatigue.
“The more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain”.
If these decisions have to do with eating, exercising, kid’s rooms, cleaning, or drinking, we probably know what the most beneficial choice is, but we might find ourselves choosing the opposite anyway.
This is your willpower at play.
It turns out, there is a finite store of mental energy for exerting self-control. And when the brain’s regulatory powers weaken (because of all the energy spent on making decisions), frustrations seem more irritating than usual. Impulses to eat, drink, spend, and say stupid things feel more powerful.
Under normal circumstances, people spend between three and four hours a day resisting desire. Nowadays it’s probably between 4 and 6 hours, considering the desire to come back to normal a constant thought on our mind.
A tired brain needs glucose to replenish energy throughout the day, and guess what? When our glucose is lower, our decision-making power is compromised.
“Good decision making is not a trait of the person. It’s a state that fluctuates.”
Avoid, if you can, engaging your brain on easy temptations like all-day-long snacking or having the device always by your side. Rather, conserve your decision making for when it counts the most:
Should I pause?
Should I just look?
Should I treasure this moment?
What about this?
While at home, let’s color the world. NYT
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