Why you’re so tired

Why You’re So Tired

In today's fast-paced world, experiencing burnout and constant exhaustion can make daily functioning feel nearly impossible. So I set out to answer two crucial questions: why are we so tired? and what can we do about it?

-- FURTHER READING --

“The evolution of modern human brain shape”

UNLV Research: No, the Human Brain Did Not Shrink 3,000 Years Ago

Proven Sleep Tips | How To Fall Asleep Faster

Mayo Clinic | Sleep tips: 6 steps to better sleep

Harvard Health | 8 secrets to a good night's sleep

-- VIDEO CHAPTERS --
00:00 Introduction
01:00 The Modern Caveman
04:53 Battleground Daytime
13:04 Battleground Nighttime
14:37 Sleep Matters
17:42 What you Can Do

About:
Johnny Harris is an Emmy-winning independent journalist and contributor to the New York Times. Based in Washington, DC, Harris reports on interesting trends and stories domestically and around the globe, publishing to his audience of over 5 million on Youtube. Harris produced and hosted the twice Emmy-nominated series Borders for Vox Media. His visual style blends motion graphics with cinematic videography to create content that explains complex issues in relatable ways.

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[gabrieljosue]

I was reading recently a book that argues about how work used to be something we completely disconnected from once we punched out (you can’t really keep assembling a car while the factory is closed) Now the most common work is intellectual, you think for a living and that means you think about your marketing presentation while doing laundry at home or cooking dinner for your kids, essentially meaning you’re working A LOT more than 9-5. That’s exhausting and as humans we haven’t evolved fast enough to understand how to deal with those changes so our mind gets depressed, anxious and exhausted.

[tc]

Things I’ve tried:
- exercising
- developing a routine
- not using electronics late
- making a to-do list
- diet and eating time
So it’s refreshing to not hear someone recommend that for the millionth time.

[katlouwen]

I quit a very fulfilling job as a biomedical scientist because of decision fatigue and consequently severe burnout. I'm now working retail and my employer is worried I'll run off to something bigger and better. But honestly, I'm done with a life spent constantly exhausted. Quality of life doesn't look the same for everyone.

[FS-vzhw]

I’m a soldier and I have often wondered why I feel much better on exercises than I do normally. The explanation about decision making and glutamine makes so much sense. In the field you get MRE’s, have to maintain your gear, prepare for new tasks and get some sleep every now and then. But that’s it. Being on exercise is simple and when I think of it, I actually make way less decisions out there than in civilian life. If you’re not soldier try hiking with a tent for a few days and leave your phone at home. You will feel much better after one day

[arpanine]

I’ve been chronically tired for the past 10 years.

I just cut out sugar/processed foods/coffee, started exercising, and cut my social media/digital consumption by 80%. I’ve never had more energy/been happier.

[diewahrheit]

I was always tired in the past. Since i started training martial arts two years ago i have been great and extremely confident. I'm always full of energy even though the martials arts training is exhausting, it gives me a great joy in life.

[Bread-nxfo]

Anxiety has gotten worse in my generation, whether it’s work or college. It’s hard to pay attention to things when we’re doing stuff 24/7

[garyg]

As an engineer, idk how applicable this is to me. Making lots of decisions is my life, and i enjoy it. I get bored when things are a routine and when i dont have to think. And it actually makes me tired.

[tauntingeveryone]

Back when I was in the national guard, I always felt less tired during annual training, drill weekends, and whenever I went away for months of training. I did not understand why I felt less tired with doing more physical labor and challenging tasks but now I think I understand. I was less tired because day to day I had less choices to make. When I went away for months of training I did not have to make a billion choices. I knew my routine and I knew exactly what to do. It is also the reason why I miss not being in the Guard anymore even though it caused so many other problems. Less decisions made me feel more rested.

[Tsukiko.]

I've been dealing with learned helpessness and mental burnout causing me performance anxiety. Moreover, because I'm extremely compulsive, small setbacks in my plans become more of a mental strain. I am constantly dealing with decision fatigue regardless on how much I automate or priortize tasks. All I can do is practice sell efficacy and adopt a "good enough" mindset, or else I will always deal with the sunken cost issue.

[jazzdrummer]

Something I love about your channel is how different each and every video is. From learning about why McDonald's ice cream machines are always seemingly broken, to learning about the gun culture in Switzerland, and how sleep affects us. I absolutely cherish your channel.
Side note: I would love to see you start a map shop/store. I love maps myself and would love to see what you have to offer.

Thank you for your amazing channel.

[NancyLovely-rm]

Thank you for the content!! All we need is the right advice on how to invest in crypto and we will be set for life, made $58, 000 profit from trading last week regardless of how bad it gets on the economy.

[Nurofaen]

I used to work as a chef, and my Sunday/Monday used to involve finishing at 11pm Sunday and being back on at 7am on Monday. I found that if I drank an energy drink before bed, so that I was asleep before it kicked in, I not only felt like I had a super long sleep (even though it was typically 5hrs) but I did not feel tired the next day. Nice to see there's some science backing this up and I wasn't just giving myself a placebo effect.

[charliekowittmusic]

I’ve made my sleep 10x better by following some very simple rules:

-Avoid coffee, but certainly no later than 12p, if I have to drink it.

-Audiobooks, instead of scrolling or watching, for 1-2 hours before bed.

-Only lay in bed when it’s actually bedtime.

-Get physical activity in during the day so I feel like I need rest.

[JohnKirsopp]

I NEVER wake up refreshed.
The ONLY time I did was when I did a sleep study to find out if my chronic fatigue was due to Sleep Apnea.
They woke me early because there weren't signs of Apnea, and I surprisingly felt alert.

I've been chasing that feeling for over 20 years!

[MilesLangley]

A year ago, I was feeling so tired and always had brain fog. So I decided to stop eating junk food, start exercising, reduce (or better yet, no) alcohol, go to bed early, no sensational news, and block social media. As a result, I feel so much better and have far more energy(although I have slipped back into some bad habits). It truly is going back to the basics that makes all the difference.

[NVclosetmedgrower]

Sell the prints, keep the originals for life, and then donate them to a deserving and well funded museum.

[ProdigyHelix]

I would love the old map store! Johnny these videos are so personal its like talking with a friend. Love them, keep em cooming!

[Drakkira]

Write down every idea or thing you feel you need to remember. Make sure its always visible so you know it's a reliable backup. Entries in calendars, notes, everything.

The second you write these things down, your mind stops bringing them up. You free up space. No mental alarms go off and theres significantly less noise overall. Less ruminating on whats to come or what must be done, and less anxiety about what might be missed.

This has not only significantly reduced stress and anxiety, its stopped much of the fatigue that comes from overthinking and decision making throughout the day. Offload the work your brain has to do.

[Joelconway]

*The wisest thing that should be on everyone's mind currently should be to invest in different streams of income that don't depend on the government. Especially with the current economic crisis around the world. This is still a good time to invest in gold, silver, and digital currencies (BTC, ETH...)*