Your Brain at Work: Attention Is a Battery

Chess grandmaster and European champion Ernesto Inarkiev examines David Rock's Your Brain at Work. Its protagonists, Paul and Emily, replay workday scenes: first they react habitually, then apply knowledge about the brain. The format connects neuroscience with decisions, emotions, and leadership.

The prefrontal cortex becomes a small theater stage with a limited energy supply. Planning, too many mental objects, and context switching overload it quickly. The basal ganglia automate familiar actions instead, so the practical challenge is to distinguish a useful autopilot from deliberate practice of a new skill.

Distractions compete for attention, while repeatedly suppressing impulses depletes self-control. The environment can make an unwanted action harder. Strong performance also needs an appropriate arousal level: boredom and excessive stress both hurt. When stuck, gather relevant facts, step away, and let the brain's default network form connections.

The emotional section covers limbic takeover, labeling feelings, reappraisal, and expectations. Mirror neurons help explain why another person's state resonates with us, while the brain tends to treat a stranger as a threat. Lasting change is better supported through questions and new habits than through ready-made instructions.