Introverts? Can I get a little reassurance that if StW doesn't want to hang, it's because he needs to recharge his batteries alone and not because he's decided I'm a PITA? As an extrovert currently in the throes of PMS, my brain is waging a highly effective campaign of self-sabotage.

As a pretty extreme introvert, there have been lots of times that I've just needed time for myself. Nothing to do with any of the people who wanted to hang out with me, just that, if I spent any more time with ANYONE, I was going to scream.

The research in the article on decision fatigue in the NY Times [link] seemed to apply to so many of my problems.

The more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain, and eventually it looks for shortcuts, usually in either of two very different ways. One shortcut is to become reckless: to act impulsively instead of expending the energy to first think through the consequences.... The other shortcut is the ultimate energy saver: do nothing. Instead of agonizing over decisions, avoid any choice. Ducking a decision often creates bigger problems in the long run, but for the moment, it eases the mental strain.

They also found that making a series of decisions, which are frequently in the form of what we call will power, depletes glucose in certain areas of the brain and that replenishing glucose revives the ability to make better decisions. Of course, when the brain needs glucose, it shuffles zombie-like towards sugar.

The discoveries about glucose help explain why dieting is a uniquely difficult test of self-control — and why even people with phenomenally strong willpower in the rest of their lives can have such a hard time losing weight. They start out the day with virtuous intentions, resisting croissants at breakfast and dessert at lunch, but each act of resistance further lowers their willpower. As their willpower weakens late in the day, they need to replenish it. But to resupply that energy, they need to give the body glucose. They’re trapped in a nutritional catch-22:

1. In order not to eat, a dieter needs willpower.

2. In order to have willpower, a dieter needs to eat.

Introverts? Can I get a little reassurance that if StW doesn't want to hang, it's because he needs to recharge his batteries alone and not because he's decided I'm a PITA? As an extrovert currently in the throes of PMS, my brain is waging a highly effective campaign of self-sabotage.

The first one, for sure, seriously. He does not think you are a PITA.

smonster, it is not you. Very, very not you, I promise.

Do not listen to your brain. I'm an introvert and if I don't have alone time, my brain explodes.

Thanks, y'all. There is some seriously ugly monkey chatter going on in my brain. I think I need to see if I can find someone to hang with later today.

Ginger! Me, too! I definitely need to (slowly) build up some good habits to cut down on the number of decisions I have to make daily.

If you want to come over for dinner (we're making shepherd's pie) and Leverage later, you are more than welcome to! If you bring ginger ale we can make that Pimms drink you like...

It also explains the success of systems like Fly Lady for some people. If you cover many things you do with checklists that are done on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, you've removed, or at least pre-made, a crowd of decisions.

Thank you, Nora. I may do that. I'm making red beans and rice for lunches this week, but that sounds lovely.

Ginger, yes. And that's why I stay subscribed to the FlyLady emails, though my eyeballs hurt from the rolling.

smonster! Can't see kitty pics--I have you friended on flickr. I dun geddit.

Also? Totally not you. And also also? What Ginger said. 'S why some people have a dozen copies of the same outfit, so they never have to decide what to wear. Decision-making is paralyzing. The only way around it for me is insta-decision with no chance for dithering. It's often the wrong decision, but it's decided, and that's the de-paralyzing thing.