Ego depletion

Ego depletion happens after humans have to hold back multiple times from doing something they want to do. Willpower is not infinite! Being forced to repeatedly hold back can make that person more likely to overindulge or make it harder for them to make beneficial choices.

Applications

• Someone saving for a long-term goal constantly has to say no to eating out with friends. On an impulse they buy something expensive they don’t need, hurting their savings goal.

• A person on a diet repeatedly says no to sweets around the office. When they get home, they don’t have the willpower to say no to a giant cake.

What it is not:

• It is not mental exhaustion from having to make repeated decisions – that is decision fatigue.