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。……