"Actually, it makes perfect sense once you understand what's really happening in your brain. After spending months unemployed following media layoffs, I became intimately familiar with this paradox. Days spent scrolling job boards and refreshing email left me more drained than my busiest workdays ever had. The exhaustion wasn't physical-it was something deeper, something that sleep couldn't fix."
"Your brain doesn't know the difference between doing and deciding Here's what I discovered during those endless, unproductive days: mental energy isn't just about what you accomplish. Every time you think "Should I apply for this job?" or "Maybe I should clean the kitchen instead," your brain treats it like an actual decision that needs processing power."
"Think about your last "lazy" day. How many times did you debate whether to get up and be productive? How many times did you scroll through Netflix trying to pick something? How many times did you open and close the same apps on your phone? Each of these seemingly insignificant moments chips away at your mental reserves."
Mental exhaustion often stems from decision fatigue rather than physical activity. When the brain repeatedly evaluates choices—even trivial ones like which show to watch or whether to apply for a job—it consumes processing power and reduces cognitive reserves. Extended periods of aimlessness, passive scrolling, or indecision increase the frequency of micro-decisions and produce deep, non-restorative tiredness that sleep alone cannot fix. Reducing unnecessary choices, creating structure, and converting indecision into concrete actions help preserve mental energy and make purposeful days feel more energizing.
Read at Silicon Canals
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