When I reach a point of mental exhaustion, I like to reflect on that fact. Too often, our mental energy — or lack thereof — feels like a moral deficiency rather than a physical one.
If I had more willpower, I could power through and get this done. Why can’t I just focus? What’s wrong with me?!
It’s easy to forget that our brains require energy to function. We wouldn’t run a marathon and then feel like failures when our legs are tired. So why do we treat mental fatigue so differently? Our brainpower is exhaustible, but it’s 100% renewable if we manage it wisely.
Think of this article as your marathon training program for your brain. I can’t promise you’ll never feel mental fatigue but you can experience it less often, less severely, and with fewer negative consequences for your mental health and productivity.
First things first, what do we even mean when we say “mental fatigue”?
