Remember mental energy gets used up when you say ‘no’

When Aisha juggled projects, her inbox pinged nonstop. Each time she faced a pop-up newsletter request, her mind filed the choice away as “Decide later.” Soon, she’d rack up dozens of decisions by lunch and her mental willpower felt shot.

Psychologists call self-control a limited resource — like bench presses at the gym that tire your arms. Every “no” to junk e-mail or midday shopping sprees is one more rep. If you use it up early, you’ve got nothing left for creative work or sticking to your diet.

Researchers found students who scheduled “implementation intentions” — decisions about when and where they would study — were three times more likely to write their extra-credit papers over vacation. By mapping your key routines in advance, you shift choices into autopilot. Now, when news sites call your name, you’ve already spent that energy on the real work.

You start by auditing every tough choice from last week. Then carve out a few ‘no-interruption’ slots where you do just one task. Pre-decide small routines — your walking break, your meal plan, your report times — and print them out. Let your filters automatically close or mute anything else. Give it a try tomorrow afternoon.