I have been struggling with mental fatigue for the last few days. That has made me more annoyed with things around me than usual. Because I am always looking for things to write about, I decided to take a pause and consciously try to figure out what was causing me to react this way. Is it that I find people annoying to deal with, or is something else going on?
I think I finally figured it out. I have a low tolerance for friction. Let’s see if this rings true for you as well.
Suppose you recognize a problem, understand the variables, and reach a reasonable conclusion relatively quickly.
But now you must navigate three meetings, several emotional objections, competing priorities, and individuals who need considerably more time to reach the same conclusion.
You are perfectly capable of guiding everyone through that process. You might even be exceptionally good at it. But that doesn’t mean you enjoy it.
In fact, the better you are at recognizing what needs to happen, the more exhausting it may become to repeatedly guide others toward that recognition.
So, what do we do with all this? It’s not about becoming a hermit or demanding the world bend to our every whim. It’s more about a gentle recalibration, a quiet commitment to ourselves. Maybe it’s about noticing those little energy leaks and deciding which ones we can plug, or at least acknowledge.
If you stop and think about this, it is not rational for us to think that just because we decided something, everyone else should just fall in line with our thinking and accept without hesitation or question. It is a normal response for people to ask questions, seek understanding, and question a new direction.
So if mental anxiety is causing you to be short with people, you might want to consider if you are actually suffering from a low tolerance for friction and that you need to take a deep breath and understand that people can, should, and will need you to justify your decisions.
