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We’ve all been there: the endless laundry pile, the last 20 minutes of a meeting that could have been an email, or the long commute after an especially long day at work.��

While we may think we’ll feel a sense of relief as we approach the end of these mundane tasks, the reality is often the opposite. According to new research, the closer we are to finishing a tedious task, the more drained we feel. It’s not just you—it’s science.

Ying Zeng

Ying Zeng, an assistant professor of marketing at the Leeds School of Business, led a study forthcoming in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology exploring how we experience everyday chores and errands.��

The researchers, who included Claire Tsai of the University of Toronto, Min Zhao of Boston College and Nicole Robitaille of Queen’s University, found the psychological toll of mundane tasks actually increases as they near completion.��

“The closer you are to the end of a mundane task, the worse you feel,” said Zeng, an expert on inconsistencies and biases in consumer decision-making. “Whether it’s washing the last load of laundry or wrapping up that final email of the day, our brains are wired to focus on how much we’ve endured rather than how much we’ve accomplished.”

Why does this happen? Zeng's research suggests it's all about relative task completion. We’re not as tired at the halfway mark, but as we get closer to finishing, we begin to feel the weight of the effort.

"People are more sensitive to the proportion of a task they've completed," Zeng said. "If you’re nearing the end, you would feel that you've endured a lot, which drains you."��

It’s a kind of psychological trick our brains play on us, where the end feels harder than it really is, she added.

Mastering the mundane

For those of us who struggle to get through these monotonous tasks, Zeng’s findings offer a bit of hope. The key is managing how we approach these tasks. Staying busy with other things can actually help boost your energy levels and make the process feel less draining.��

“When you’re busy, you feel better,” Zeng said.��

This insight mirrors what we experience when we’re juggling multiple things and somehow don’t feel as tired as when we’re just trying to finish a single task.

But it’s not just about how we manage our own energy—it’s how we structure these tasks in the first place. Zeng’s research shows combining tasks can make a big difference. If you tackle a big list of chores all at once, you’ll probably feel less exhausted than if you stretch them out over several days.��

“If you combine mundane tasks into one large list and power through them, it’s easier than breaking them down into bits and facing that same exhaustion again and again,” she said.

However, Zeng cautions this strategy isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

“This doesn’t apply to every task,” she explained, pointing out that caregiving or psychologically impactful events—like the grief of a funeral—can’t be simplified by these tricks.��

The study focused on tasks with a clear beginning and end, which is why the 3 a.m. feedings of a newborn or the hours spent caregiving might not follow the same pattern.

What does this mean for your daily life? If you’ve ever felt more drained when your vacation was just around the corner or dreaded the final leg of a long workday, you’re not imagining it. Zeng’s research shows that the “mundane task effect” is real.

The trick is to recognize it and manage how you experience these chores. Power through your list, stay busy and embrace the fact that your exhaustion isn’t about the task itself—it’s about how your brain perceives it.

“For these types of tasks, combine them, because all you need to do is to endure them, and all you need to improve is your experience,” Zeng said.

And next time you're facing a mountain of laundry or back-to-back meetings, remember: The closer you are to finishing, the more likely it is that you’ll feel tired. But with some smart task management, you can trick your brain into making the process feel a little less exhausting.