We all do it, and then hate ourselves for it.
We’re at home considering whether to enjoy a bit of yoga, go for a morning walk or even engage with family members. Instead, we find ourselves rooted to the sofa, scrolling through a depressing stream of news stories or flicking through photos of distant acquaintances on Instagram.
We know we are getting little enjoyment out of what we're doing, yet we find ourselves unable to give up and instead do something more rewarding and fun. So why do we continue with something that hurts our mental well-being and even can harm our relationships?
Our research shows that such failure to switch behavior is commonplace. In a survey of 118 adults, 94% admitted to experiencing it, while 50% found themselves exhibiting some form of inertia on a weekly basis.
Examples given ranged from straining to hear music at a low volume (so as not to disturb others) rather than getting a nearby pair of headphones, or watching a boring show rather than picking up an enjoyable book.
