Understanding Social Cognitive Fatigue

Ever hang out with friends, have a great time… then go home and crash like you just

ran a marathon? That’s not just introvert energy, it’s real brain fatigue.”

A recent study from the University of Vienna found that social interaction burns more mental

energy than you think. Your brain is constantly processing facial expressions,

tone, timing, and eye contact. It’s like doing emotional math the

entire time. Even when you're enjoying yourself your prefrontal cortex is hard at

work keeping up with everything happening in the conversation. That’s why people

feel exhausted after socializing, especially in group settings. This is known as