You don’t need mental energy to run your habits. They do fine on their own.
You do, however, need considerable mental energy for executive function—for making decisions, formulating plans, solving problems. And especially for managing stress.
While a few tough days aren’t usually a big deal, it is stress, piled on more stress, for days on end that can siphon away our psychological reserves to the point that we’re constantly running on fumes.
And when we’re always running on fumes, our healthy behaviors can suffer.
Thus, a primary objective in lifestyle change is to preserve your psychological energy—to recognize and get in front of the early signs of stress and burnout before all the good work you’ve done goes off the rails.
Self-awareness is the key.
