Ego depletion

Ego depletion is like a battery that powers your self-control. Just like a battery in your toy car, your self-control battery helps to keep you in check and make good choices. But when you use up too much of it, just like when the battery runs out of energy, you become tired and more likely to make bad choices.

Think of a time when you had to resist something you really wanted, like a cookie or playing video games when you had homework to do. Using your self-control to resist these things is like draining the battery that powers it. If you had to resist these things for a long time, it gets harder and harder for you to keep saying no. That feeling of weariness or getting tired of fighting is what we call ego depletion.

So, when your battery is low (ego depletion), you are not able to do things that require self-control easily. You may get cranky, lose motivation, and find it difficult to make healthy choices. But, just like a battery, your self-control can recharge over time. When you rest and recuperate, the battery gets recharged, and you can use it again to make healthy choices.