How We Lose Power: 13 Factors of Energy Leakage

The study of hidden mechanisms of depletion of vital resources: from neurobiological processes to social patterns. A practical guide to diagnosing and eliminating energy holes.


Energy is the currency of modern life. But what if our “account” is constantly reset not because of external circumstances, but because of internal leaks? Neuropsychologists say that up to 70% of mental resources are spent on unconscious processes. Let's take a look at the triggers that turn us into "energy duds."

1. Neurophysiological traps
1.1. Chronic hypercortisolism
According to NIH research, persistent activation of the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis causes:

• Decreasing the density of neural connections in the prefrontal cortex
• Disregulation of circadian rhythms
• Immune depression (the metabolic credit effect)

1.2. Digital hypoxia
Multitasking in the digital environment creates cognitive overload: transitions between applications activate the dorsal attention network, depleting the resources of the default mode network responsible for creativity.



2. Psycho-emotional holes
2.1. The effect of "stuck dialogue"
Incomplete internal monologues increase the activity of the insula lobe of the brain by 23% (Nature studies, 2019), creating reverberation loops.

2.2. Toxic optimism
The suppression of “negative” emotions through affirmations causes a dissociation of emotional intelligence, a paradox described in Gross’ 2015 work on emotion regulation.

3. Social vampires
3.1. Systemic attention parasites
Social algorithms exploit error-related negativity (ERN), a neural response to uncertainty, forcing feeds to be endlessly updated.

3.2. Energy altruism
Pathological concern for others while ignoring one’s own boundaries is a direct pathway to burnout syndrome (Maslach, 2016).





Glossary
Hypercortisolism
Pathologically elevated cortisol levels over a long period
Error-related negativity (ERN)
ERP component associated with the detection of errors in cognitive processes
Dorsal attention network
Neural network responsible for focusing and goal setting