The Human Energy Crisis

Tired brains, digital strain, and a world moving faster than our ability to keep up.

I believe the biggest issue we face is the global human energy crisis.

It’s where an increasing number of people say they lack the energy for work and life, a trend that's been accelerated by the pandemic.

It's intensifying physical and mental health problems, while reducing productivity and social harmony.

I bet the average person today has less energy than the average person 100 years ago. And until we address declining personal energy levels, society will struggle to resolve other issues.

When we talk about an energy crisis, we often think of the rising prices of petrol, electricity, and gas.

But the human energy crisis is more complex, and drawing from my experience in professional sports, I've learned that low energy levels are often a sign of nervous system fatigue.

A fatigue that's mostly driven by three things: increased access to food, the increasingly seated nature of work, and the influence of screens.

Starvation has been one of civilization's biggest killers, which has led to societies increasing food production. But many countries have gone too far and now produce nearly twice as much food as they need. Which means food is now everywhere and it’s become too easy to eat too much.

And due to not having enough farms to produce healthy food for everyone, we've turned to producing manufactured crap.

A century ago, when there was no such thing as junk food, most jobs, whether in factories or on farms, involved physical labour which made it hard to get fat and easy to sleep at night.

But now our days involve easy access to junk food, long periods of sitting at desks, and constant interaction with screens.

Screens bombard us with an endless stream of information, much of it junk info from social media about how great everyone else’s life is.

But the volume of info they expose us to is more than our brains can handle. And with all the options online shopping, Netflix and dating apps give, causes decision fatigue and further depletes our mental energy.

Also, the 24/7 nature of work and how digitally connected we are, enables bosses to easily transfer their anxiety onto staff through late-night emails and messaging apps.

A stressed boss, seeking to clear their mind before bed can now offload their anxiety by sending a late-night email or message, assigning a task with little thought. This transfers their stress onto the team and inadvertently creates a cycle of anxiety and overwork that reduces team performance, and ultimately stresses the boss out more.

And all these changes to life are taking a toll, leaving us tired, stressed, and feeling lousy about ourselves.

We didn’t evolve to sit all day while resisting the temptation of junk food. Nor were we designed to be constantly bombarded by the blue light and digital stimulation of screens. And this unnatural combination is disrupting our sleep patterns and exhausting our brains.

Many of us fail to recognise this and unfairly blame ourselves for how we feel, not realising the extra stress of modern life is the primary cause of our mental and physical exhaustion.

But it's understandable why we struggle to see the big picture when we're tired, because the prefrontal cortex, responsible for high-level thinking, becomes less active, shifting brain function to the part of the brain the controls emotions, the amygdala.

This shift leads to more emotional and less rational decision-making, which increases stress and anxiety as we deal with the results of impulsive choices, and end up more fatigued with lower overall life satisfaction.

And this decline in life satisfaction combined with the rise in stress is driving people in record numbers towards addiction, as they search for ways to numb the pain.

Also when our brains are tired, prioritising and focusing becomes a challenge.

Rather than tackling high-priority and meaningful tasks, we gravitate towards easier, trivial ones that require less brain power. This decline in the ability to focus, combined with emotional decision-making, contributes to the general sense of life dissatisfaction and a decline in social harmony.

As more people fall into this state of fatigue and cognitive decline, we're seeing increased social division, caused by the brain's reduced capacity to hear and understand opposing views. This leads to more arguing, further eroding our sense of community, while contributing to rising divorce rates.

Tired people are also less likely to socialise because they lack the energy to turn off Netflix, get off the couch, and go do something with friends. This is a trend that's becoming increasingly common and contributing to the loneliness epidemic, creating a vicious cycle where time on the couch further drains energy and exacerbates fatigue.

To make up for a lack of connection, people are turning to online platforms because it's easier and requires less energy. But virtual interactions don’t provide the rejuvenating effect that comes from hanging out with someone in person.

Tired brains also experience a drop in serotonin levels and self-esteem, because of the inability to engage in challenging tasks. This decline leads to a loss of faith in one's abilities, and can spiral into a state of despair. Then the lack of belief in their ability to improve their situation becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the mental fatigue and low mood make even small steps towards change feel impossible.

This cycle that reduces self-esteem not only impacts the person’s ability to tackle life's challenges, but also erodes the foundational belief that they have the power to alter their circumstances for the better.

A tired brain also leaves a person more susceptible to fad diets and quick fixes, driven by the desire to feel better quickly. However, these solutions almost always fail, leaving them feeling worse and blaming themselves for why the magical solution the fitness industry sold them didn’t deliver.

And this is compounded when those striving to improve are surrounded by others stuck in the same cycle. Instead of getting support, they often encounter criticism and negativity, as those lacking the energy to make similar efforts may feel envious or threatened by their progress.

So basically we're all fucked and I'm not even getting into the lack of purpose thats coming from the decline of religion and more people choosing not to start a family.

Nor did I consider the fact that our culture has conditioned us to work ourselves into the ground so we can buy things that ultimately leave us unfulfilled.

So… what’s the answer?

I’m don’t know and I’d be delusional if I thought I did.

But this problem is too big for us all not to be thinking about, and needs to be front and centre of society’s thinking.

Because if we don't talk about it more, things will get worse.

If you are feeling like crap, please cut yourself some slack. Our world has changed so much in such a short amount of time, that our bodies and minds are struggling to keep up.

And that’s not your fault.

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As you can tell, this is a personal essay/thesis I’ve been meaning to write because I want to spend the rest of my career trying to solve this problem.

I’ll share some rough ideas how in due course, but I need to make sure I understand the problem first and keen to hear what you think.

What have I gotten right? What have I gotten wrong? And what am I missing?

Read more:

We are experiencing a global human energy crisis

America is more exhausted than ever

How has the availability of food changed over time

Why sitting is the new smoking

How Daily Energy Expenditure Has Changed Over Time

The relationship between fatigue and psychiatric disorders