🧠The Three Brain Energy Drains
According to neuroscientist Lisa Barrett, your brain expends the most energy on three activities:
- Moving your body
- Learning new things, and
- Dealing with persistent uncertainty
Of these three, persistent uncertainty is by far the most costly to your brain. This constant state of not knowing what's coming next creates a significant cognitive load that can leave you mentally exhausted.
Think of your brain like a budget - when you're constantly dealing with uncertainty about work, relationships, or future outcomes, you're spending most of your mental energy on worry and what-if scenarios. This psychological strain from imagining endless possibilities is more draining than physical exercise or studying something new.
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Lessons from LIP #241
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