Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania analyzed Google search statistics for some words (including “diet”, “gym”), and it turned out that many people are more interested in achieving their goals on Mondays. A similar situation is observed on other important calendar dates: New Year, the beginning of a new school year, and a birthday. In addition, the number of requests for “how to quit smoking” increases on Mondays.
The researchers assume that this is happening because such dates separate one era of our lives from another. It is becoming easier for us to think about the future and let go of our past mistakes.
On Mondays, we stop worrying about whether we’re climbing the career ladder fast enough and wonder if it’s even the right ladder.
For personal and professional success, it is very important to forget the details for a while and try to see the whole picture. But we are very rarely able to do this.
It’s not that we choose not to go to the gym, donate money to charity, or call our parents. It’s just that we’re on autopilot and don’t even realize that we could have done anything differently.
Our tendency to let things go by themselves reflects how our brain works. Of the ten million pieces of information that the brain processes per second, only about 50 units are involved in conscious thinking, which is 0.0005%. We’re not built for constant vigilance.
Our brain simply can’t sort through different options every minute and carefully consider every decision we make. Instead, the subconscious mind is responsible for most decisions about our behavior.
To switch to conscious decision-making mode, the brain constantly compares the surrounding reality with our expectations. Only when we see a threat or something new does the brain fully engage in decision-making.
For some reason, Mondays and the first days of the month and New Year unsettle us and make us wonder if we’re headed in the right direction. They encourage us to consider solutions that we probably wouldn’t even notice otherwise.
This effect can be enhanced by deliberately taking breaks from your usual routine. This will help not only to consciously consider any decisions, but also to act in accordance with them.
Source: https://lifehacker.ru/ponedelnik/
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