Employees should be rewarded for 'thinking hard' due to unpleasant feelings it causes, say experts who discover mental exertion makes the brain 'hurt' READ ALSO: Snoring causing restless nights? Experts say when to see a doctor By Rebecca Whittaker For Mailonline Published: 14:58, 5 August 2024 | Updated: 14:59, 5 August 2024 e-mail View comments If you've ever felt physically wiped out after a long day sitting at your desk, scientists may have discovered why. Thinking hard often triggers feelings of intense frustration, stress and even pain, according to a major new study. As a result, the Dutch experts behind the research insist that employers should do more to 'reward and support' staff for giving them difficult work.
European workers were more prone to discomfort, compared to those from Asian countries, and 'really dislike mental effort', they added. The greater the effort, the greater the unpleasantness people experience, said Erik Bijleveld, PhD, of Radboud University in the Netherlands , who led the study. 'When people are required to exert substantial mental effort, you need to make sure to support or reward them for their effort.
' The results of the study suggest in general, most people find mental exertion hurts their mind and causes frustration The study, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, involved meta-analysis of 170 studies, published between 2019 and 2020 and comprising 4,670 participants, to examine how people generally experience mental effort. .