What to do when you get frustrated by being asked the same thing over and over? Part 1: The Left Brain | Mechanism
Whether it's in caregiving, parenting, with a partner, or a junior colleague at work, I think there are times when you get frustrated by being asked the same thing over and over.
This time, let's talk about the brain structure behind those moments.
🧠 Left Brain
The mechanism behind getting frustrated when asked the same thing repeatedly
💡 [1st time] A state where you still have capacity (Normal processing mode)
At this time, the left brain feels like this:
Once I explain it, it should be over
Once I handle it, the task is complete
Receiving the same input is unexpected
Extra reprocessing is a burden
💡 The human brain is designed so that "information once processed is difficult to reprocess"
* This is a specification of the left brain (prefrontal cortex) to save energy
💡 [2nd time] A state where discomfort begins to emerge (Warning mode)
At this time, the left brain feels like this:
It's the same content as what I just said
It should be finished already
The same question is coming again
It's as if the previous interaction never happened
💡 [3rd time] A state where anger emerges (Limit mode)
A feeling that the task is in an infinite loop
A state where "processed items" keep interrupting as if they were unprocessed
As a result, it is processed like this in the left brain.
"Same question again."
"I have to explain it again."
"There's no end in sight."
"It drains me all at once."
"There's no time to recover."
🧠 This inability to rest, lack of reward, lack of a goal, and lack of an escape route become intense stressors that trigger frustration.
Frustration doesn't happen because the other person doesn't understand, but because your brain has learned that
"being asked again = energy being drained again."
#Caregiving #HomeCare #Elderly #Parenting #Relationships #RightBrain #LeftBrain