10 Mindless Habits That Are Secretly ExhaustingYou

李玫安

1. Watching emotionally charged television shows

One of the ways binge—watching emotionally charged TV shows can lead to mental exhaustion is through temporarily imagining yourself experiencing the same feelings and events of a specific character.

In excess， however， sustained high-intensity emotions， positive or negative， can result in a state of heightened arousal and overstimulation， ultimately leading to mental fatigue， difficulty focusing and poor energy levels.

2. Waiting too long between meals

The body scores energy from the foods we eat， and relies on a steady supply of it. This backup energy supply only lasts about three to six hours， so going too long without food sets off biological and psychological mechanisms that turn on our eating drive—usually， this can lead to strong cravings for processed carbs， which are foods with a highglycemic load.

“As we eat more carbs， especially simple ones， our insulin levels climb，”nutritional psychologist Uma Naidoo said.“Once our insulin levels peak after eating， our blood sugar can subsequently crash and lead to a distinct feeling of being physically drained.”

3. Working at a messy desk

Working in a cluttered environment may increase distractibility and inattentiveness. The result？ Tasks take longer to complete， requiring you to use up more mental focus and energy over time.

4. Planning too far in advance

Being constantly exposed to a full calendar of obligations can cause an uptick in anticipatory anxiety and adversely affect working memory and processing speed.

This can impede your ability to remain mindful and efficiently complete tasks in the moment， resulting in poor motivation and mental exhaustion.

5. Having too many tabs open

Not only are you overwhelming your laptops battery by having 25 tabs open， youre putting your brain into overdrive too.

“Bouncing from tab to tab gives your ego the misconception youre getting an incredible amount of work done，”said Rana Mafee， chief neurologist at Case Integrative Health in Chicago.“In reality， youre not fully processing anything youre trying to efficiently consume.”

6. Leaving off in the wrong spot

Thanks to things like time constraints and incessant interruptions， its not uncommon to find yourself setting aside half-completed tasks in order to deal with something urgent thats come up or has to take priority.

A small piece of your attention is left with the unfinished task， known as attention residue.

When you experience attention residue， your brain is working overtime by thinking about the task youre now on， as well as ruminating about the previous task you had to leave unfinished.

If you do have to stop work on a task prematurely， you can decrease the amount of attention residue by writing down the specifics of whats left to finish. This can help decrease rumination and allow you to clear your mind.

7. Slouching

“Poor posture can deplete your energy levels by putting more pressure on your bodys muscles， joints and ligaments，”said Naueen Safdar， medical director at EHE Health.“Your body has to use more energy to compensate， leading to fatigue.”

8. 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 mind.

“Shallow breathing reduces the amount of oxygen the body takes in and the amount that can be transported in the blood to our organs and cells for optimal function，”Naidoo said. It can also trigger pathways in the brain that exacerbate anxiety and trigger fatigue.

Any time you notice yourself feeling particularly tense or stressed， use that as your cue to take several deep breaths to combat shallow breathing.

9. Letting little tasks pile up

Texting someone back. Changing a lightbulb. Booking your pets wellness visit. The cumulative mental load of unintentionally stockpiling tiny tasks like these can be distracting and mentally draining.

“Even manageable duties start to feel overwhelming and suffocating due to their sheer number，”psychiatrist Tyson Lippe said.

“The constant and unsolicited‘I should do task Xthoughts also creates a sense of shame and buildup of anticipatory anxiety.”

Ideally， any task that takes less than five minutes should be done right away， as its the most energy-efficient option—but when this isnt practical， dont rely on memory.

“Immediately write it down on a to- do list，”Lippe said.“This strategy provides peace of mind and reassurance that it will be dealt with eventually.”

10. Not dimming the lights at night

Exposure to bright lights at night signals its still daytime to the brain.“This inhibits the brains release of melatonin， a sleep-promoting hormone，”Lippe said.“This can disturb the sleep- wake cycle and lead to insomnia， poor sleep quality and fatigue.”

1.追劇追得太投入

一集接一集地看牵动人心的电视剧会让你精神疲惫，因为你在追剧过程中会想象自己也在经历剧中人物的情感纠葛。

但是，追剧太投入会让你一直处于强烈的情绪之中，无论是正面还是负面的情绪都会导致你过于兴奋和激动，最终让你变得萎靡、难以集中注意力、精疲力尽。

2.两餐之间间隔太久

身体从我们吃的食物中汲取能量，需要一日三餐的稳定供应。每餐所供应的能量大约只能维持3到6小时，因此太长时间不吃东西会触发生理和心理机制让我们食欲大增，这种情况下我们通常会特别想吃精制碳水化合物，也就是那些高血糖指数食物。

营养心理学家乌马·奈杜说：“当我们摄入了更多碳水化合物，尤其是单一的碳水化合物后，我们的胰岛素水平就会上升。一旦胰岛素水平达到顶峰，我们的血糖水平就会下降，从而引发明显的疲倦感。”

3.办公桌太乱

在一个凌乱的环境中工作会让你更容易分心和走神。结果就是，你需要花更长时间才能完成任务，在这一过程中不得不强迫自己集中注意力，从而消耗更多能量。

4.过早地计划好一切

总是要面对一大堆待办事项会增加你的预期性焦虑，并对你的工作记忆和处理速度产生负面影响。

这会妨碍你专心高效地完成当前的任务，并会导致你动力不足、精神疲惫。

5.打开的标签页太多

同時打开25个标签页不仅会让你的电脑电池不堪重负，还会让你的大脑也超负荷运转。

芝加哥病例综合健康机构的首席神经学家拉娜·玛菲说：“从一个标签页切换到另一个标签页会给你一种自己做了很多事的错觉。事实上，你是贪多嚼不烂。”

6.活儿干到一半就放下

由于时间限制和纷至沓来的干扰等因素，你常常发现自己活儿干到一半就不得不放下，去处理更紧急或优先级更高的事务。

每一个未完成的任务都牵动着你的一小部分注意力，称作“注意力残留”。

当你出现注意力残留的情况时，你的大脑正在超负荷运转，既要想着眼下的任务，又要考虑你之前做了一半的任务。

如果不得不停下手头的活儿，你可以将这项任务的待办细节写下来，从而减少注意力残留。这样做有助于减少你对上一个任务的思虑，摒除大脑的杂念。

7.懒散的坐姿

EHE健康机构的医疗总监瑙因·萨夫达尔说：“不良坐姿会增加你的肌肉、关节和韧带受到的压力，从而大量消耗你的精力。你的身体不得不用更多能量来弥补，进而引发疲劳感。”

8.呼吸短浅

尽管呼吸被视作一种无意识的行为，但是当我们烦心事太多时，我们往往会采用不正确的呼吸方式。

奈杜说：“浅呼吸会减少身体吸入的氧气量，以及可以通过血液输送到器官和细胞以优化功能的氧气量。”浅呼吸还会触发加剧焦虑和引发疲劳感的大脑神经通路。

无论何时，如果你注意到自己特别紧张或压力很大，就做几个深呼吸来对抗浅呼吸的危害。

9.让杂事堆积成山

给某人回短信。换灯泡。给宠物预约体检。像这种无意间堆积的杂事会让人分心，耗费脑力。

精神病学家泰森·利珀说：“因为数量众多，即使是好办的杂事也让人感到不堪重负和窒息。”

“这种应该做某事的想法不由自主地持续涌上心头，让人产生羞愧感和预期性焦虑。”

理想状态下，任何5分钟内能解决的杂事都应该立即去办，这也是最高效节能的选择。但是如果立即去办不符合实际情况，也不要用脑子强记。

利珀说：“应该立刻写在待办清单上。这一策略能让人安心并确保这些杂事最后能搞定。”

10.晚上把灯开得很亮

夜晚暴露在明亮的灯光下会让大脑误以为还是白天。利珀说：“这将抑制大脑分泌促进睡眠的褪黑激素，扰乱睡眠——觉醒周期，导致失眠、睡眠质量差和疲倦感。”