04/01/2026
👇Welcome to the first in a series of neuroscience nibbles. 🧠 Taking everyday situations and considering the neuroscience behind it.🤔
All with the aim of heightening awareness to inform wellbeing🙏
✨️Everyday situation🙌
You plan to exercise, focus, or work on something meaningful, but by the
end of the day, your motivation is gone.
🧠What the brain is doing🧠
Planning, self-control, and goal-directed behaviour rely on the prefrontal cortex, our thinking brain. Prolonged cognitive effort and stress reduce its efficiency, making
it harder to initiate and sustain effort later in the day.
❓️Why it feels this way❓️
Motivation isn’t a personality trait, it’s a changing brain state shaped by
energy, availability and stress hormones. When resources drop, the brain shifts toward conservation. This is often mistaken for laziness but reflects neurobiological fatigue.
💡How to work with your brain💡
* Do demanding tasks earlier when the prefrontal cortex is freshest
* Lower task friction by making the first step easy
* Use small time commitments (5–10 minutes)
* Prioritise recovery - sleep and breaks matter
* Rely on systems, not willpower - Willpower fatigues with prefrontal
load. Habits, routines, and cues automate behaviour, reducing
the need for motivation when energy is low.
✔️ Takeaway: Fading motivation is a biological signal, not a flaw.
References: Arnsten, A. F. T. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that
impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews
Neuroscience.
McEwen, B. S., & Morrison, J. H. (2013). The brain on stress. Nature
Reviews Neuroscience.
Baumeister, R. F. et al. (2007). Self-control relies on a limited resource.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
