SCIENTISTS say we should take it easy because thinking too much really puts a strain on the brain.
A study found that we quickly become stressed and irritable when we exert a lot of mental effort.
Experts said bosses and teachers should fire their workers and students.
The research, called “The Unpleasantness of Thinking”, analyzed 170 studies involving 4,670 people in 29 countries.
It was found that people rated feelings of frustration more when they performed more difficult tasks.
Study author Erik Bijleveld, from Radboud University in the Netherlands, said: “In general, people don’t really like mental effort.
“Managers often encourage employees to exert mental effort.
“On the surface, this seems to work well, so you might be tempted to think that employees tend to like to think a lot.
“Our results suggest that this conclusion would be false.”
People should be rewarded for substantial mental effort
Dr Erik Bijleveld
The studies included people from all walks of life, such as healthcare and military workers, university students and sportspeople.
They were given various tasks, such as learning new technology, practicing golf swings, or playing games.
Writing in the journal Psychological Bulletin, Dr Bijleveld said: “Our main finding is that mental effort is strongly associated with negative feelings.
“We found this association across all types of tasks and in all types of populations, including experienced professionals and people with a college education.”
‘Half of Brits feel overwhelmed’
A 2023 survey revealed that 53 percent of Brits feel overwhelmed and a 2019 survey showed that 40 percent are brave enough to call in sick if they want a day off.
Dr. Bijleveld explained that people can put up with the mental effort to learn a complicated hobby or job that they enjoy in general – but that doesn’t mean that thinking a lot makes them happy.
He added: “When people are required to exert substantial mental effort, you need to make sure you support or reward them.”
Signs of burnout
Burnout is defined by the World Health Organization as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
In other words, the stress you experience at work is not being managed, leaving you feeling:
- energy depletion or exhaustion;
- increased mental distance from work or feelings of negativity or cynicism related to work; It is
- reduced professional effectiveness.
How might this happen in everyday life, including burnout caused by factors other than work?
Posting on TikTok, Dr Julie Smith said the first sign is that you have become disconnected from the people around you.
She explained: “You may be arguing more with your partner or friends.
“Number two is that you are procrastinating more than ever and putting off even the smallest tasks because now they seem overwhelming.”
Dr. Smith said the third sign is that your self-care routine has gone out the window.
The fourth red flag, Dr. Smith added, is that you are physically and emotionally exhausted.
“You feel tired but nervous, and you can’t sleep at night,” she added.
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