- Watching Emotionally Charged Television Shows: One of the ways binge-watching emotionally charged TV shows can lead to mental exhaustion is through trait identification. This refers to the process of temporarily imagining yourself experiencing the same feelings and events of a specific character.
- The Fix: Be mindful of the entertainment you consume by taking note of how it makes you feel and impacts you throughout the following hours and days. Another good strategy is to set a weekly time limit for emotionally charged viewing.
- Waiting Too Long Between Meals: Your body keeps score with energy from the foods you eat and relies on a steady supply for it. Some parts of the body, like the brain, can only use carbs (in the form of glucose) for energy. While the body can store some of this energy which acts as a reserve for the body when blood sugar levels are low, eventually the supply becomes depleted.
- The Fix: The best way to counter your eating schedule being thrown off is to always have a shelf-stable snack on hand that doesn’t require refrigeration. In general, the recommendation is to go no longer than five waking hours without eating.
- Working at a Messy Desk: Working in a cluttered environment may increase distractibility and inattentiveness which can cause you to take longer to complete tasks.
- The Fix: Try and maintain a structured and planned environment where everything you need is in its place to help reduce energy drain.
- Planning Too Far In Advance: While planning is extremely helpful, if done in excess it can leave you living in the future instead of the present. It can increase anxiety and adversely affect working memory and processing speed.
- The Fix: Consider planning out the mandatory deadlines and events, then leave the remaining pockets of time as commitment-free as possible. Setting limits can allow for more spontaneity and flexibility.
- Having Too Many Tabs Open: Not only are you overwhelming yourself, but your computer’s battery too. Bouncing from tab to tab gives you the misconception you are getting a lot of work done, but in reality, you are not fully processing anything you are trying to efficiently consume.
- The Fix: Every hour or so, ask yourself ‘What do I need in front of me right now? Is this tab serving me?”
- Taking Calls Right Away: Phone calls can be overwhelming, and your nervous system must not only process a task at the flip of a switch but also process the conversation you are having.
- The Fix: Before you answer that call, ask yourself if you have the capacity for that conversation right now.
- Leaving off In the Wrong Spot: Due to time constraints and incessant interruptions, it is not uncommon to find yourself setting aside half-completed tasks to deal with something urgent that has come up. The more this happens, the harder your brain has to stay focused, and it chips away at your energy reserves.
- The Fix: No day will ever be free of interruptions, but the easiest way to help it is to not overstimulate yourself. Turn off notifications from your phone or computer, so you’ll have a better chance of getting to finish your task.
- Slouching: Poor posture can deplete your energy levels by putting more pressure on your body’s muscles, ligaments, and joints.
- The Fix: Try using ergonomic pieces of furniture or posture-correcting products to help give gentle reminders to sit/stand straight.
- Taking Shallow Breaths: Even though breathing is thought of as an unconscious activity, we tend to breathe incorrectly when we have a lot on our minds.
- The Fix: Anytime you notice yourself feeling tense or stressed, use that as your cue to take several deep breaths to combat shallow breathing. Take a deep breath through your nose so your abdomen moves then exhale through pursed lips as you tighten your stomach muscles and allow them to fall inward.
- Letting Little Tasks Pile Up: Things as small as texting someone back, changing a lightbulb, or booking a doctor’s appointment – all these things can pile up which creates a cumulative mental load of stockpiled tasks that can cause mental drain.
- The Fix: Ideally, any task that takes less than five minutes should be done right away, as it is the most energy-efficient option. If not, immediately write it down on a to-do list to provide peace of mind and reassurance that it will be dealt with eventually.
- Not Dimming the Lights At Night: Exposure to bright light triggers the brain to believe it is still daytime. It inhibits the brain’s release of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone.
- The Fix: As the sun begins to set, start dimming your lights or turning them off. It helps shift your brain into night mode and gets you ready for peaceful sleep.
To learn more about your insurance choices, connect with one of our agents today to discuss all your options and answer any questions you may have. The experts at LIG Solutions have licensed health insurance professionals intending to offer a simple and transparent view of healthcare coverage. There’s no need to spend hours trying to understand different plan options – we’ll work with you to understand your needs and budget to recommend a plan that will work the best for you. And because we have no vested interest in which insurance carrier you go through, you can rest easy knowing we are truly looking out for your employee’s best interests.
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