Editing Content theory (section)

== Mental Fatigue ==
[[Mental fatigue]] is being tired, exhausted, or not functioning effectively. Not wanting to proceed further with the current mental course of action is in contrast with physical fatigue, because in most cases no physical activity is done.<ref name="author">{{cite book|title=Motivation Biological, Psychological, and Environmental|last1=Deckers|first1=Lambert|date=2018|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-138-03632-1|edition=5th|location=New York}}</ref> This is best seen in the workplace or schools. A perfect example of mental fatigue is seen in college students just before finals approach. One will notice that students start eating more than they usually do and care less about interactions with friends and classmates. Mental fatigue arises when an individual becomes involved in a complex task but does no physical activity and is still worn out, the reason for this is because the brain uses about 20 percent of the human body's metabolic heart rate. The brain consumes about 10.8 calories every hour. Meaning that a typical human adult brain runs on about twelve watts of electricity or a fifth of the power need to power a standard light bulb.<ref name="Jabr">{{cite news |url = https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thinking-hard-calories/ |title = Does Thinking Really Hard Burn More Calories? |last = Jabr |first = Ferris |work = Scientific American |access-date = 2018-12-04 |language = en }}</ref> These numbers represent an individual's brain working on routine tasks, things that are not challenging. One study suggests that after engaging in a complex task, an individual tends to consume about two hundred more calories than if they had been resting or relaxing; however, this appeared to be due to stress, not higher caloric expenditure.<ref name="Jabr"/>

The symptoms of mental fatigue can range from low motivation and loss of concentration to the more severe symptoms of headaches, dizziness, and impaired decision making and judgment. Mental fatigue can affect an individual's life by causing a lack of motivation, avoidance of friends and family members, and changes in one's mood. To treat mental fatigue, one must figure out what is causing the fatigue. Once the cause of the stress has been identified the individual must determine what they can do about it. Most of the time mental fatigue can be fixed by a simple life change like being more organized or learning to say no.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/fatigue |title = Fatigue |last = Services |first = Department of Health & Human |access-date = 2018-12-04 |language = en }}</ref> According to the study: Mental fatigue caused by prolonged cognitive load associated with sympathetic hyperactivity, "there is evidence that decreased parasympathetic activity and increased relative sympathetic activity are associated with mental fatigue induced by a prolonged cognitive load in healthy adults.<ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Mizuno |first1 = Kei |last2 = Tanaka |first2 = Masaaki |last3 = Yamaguti |first3 = Kouzi |last4 = Kajimoto |first4 = Osami |last5 = Kuratsune |first5 = Hirohiko |last6 = Watanabe |first6 = Yasuyoshi |date = 2011-05-23 |title = Mental fatigue caused by prolonged cognitive load associated with sympathetic hyperactivity |journal = Behavioral and Brain Functions |volume = 7 |issue = 1 |page = 17 |doi = 10.1186/1744-9081-7-17 |issn = 1744-9081 |pmc = 3113724 |pmid = 21605411 |doi-access = free }}</ref>" this means that though no physical activity was done, the sympathetic nervous system was triggered. An individual who is experiencing mental fatigue will not feel relaxed but feel the physical symptoms of stress.