I was a passenger in an almost 4 hour car tourney the other day, and by the end of it I was exhausted. Yet I can easily sit at a desk or in a chair for 4 hours at home doing the same things (listening to music, scrolling tiktok, social media, flash cards) and not feel nearly as exhausted. Why?
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Your body has a fairly passive mode for when a situation is not new or important and an active mode for when a situation is new or important.
Humans evolved as hunter/gatherers. Every time you go someplace new your body is alert for danger and food. Your senses are on full alert and your brain examines everything. Your body is not in fight or flight mode but is in an elevated state ready to act.
This is why driving someplace seems to take longer than driving home. On the drive home the places are no longer new so you are not in the same active mode.
This is also why some people are exhausted by social interactions and things like parties. They are on alert for danger in the form of making social mistakes, so they exhaust themselves with their alertness.
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