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The Blessing of Minor Inconveniences

 We are quick to get rid of inconveniences, but maybe we shouldn't be.

1. We aren't as good at choosing how to spend our time as we think.

While we think that getting rid of an inconvenience will give us more time to do the things we like, we may just waste that time instead. If you get a dishwasher so you don't have to wash up, how will the time saved really be spent? Within a few days, you could take that time for granted and waste it on the internet.

2. Inconveniences are healthy.

A large portion of our energy expenditure is comes from NEATs (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), so much, on a day where you've done a heavy workout in the morning, making you feel less active the rest of the day, you may end up burning fewer calories than if you hadn't exercised at all. Replacing an inconvenient walk/cycle with a convenient drive, or conveniently parking close to the supermaket door, cutting out an inconvenient walk across the car park just cuts out your vital NEATs.

3. Forced focus leads to creative procrastination.

Doing something a mundane task allows your brain to work on problems you really care about in the back of your mind. Students were asked to do a task, some were given a distraction, such as minesweeper, and others weren't. The students that had a distraction came up with more creative solutions to the problem that were rated more highly by independent experts (assuming they had started to engage in the problem before getting distracted).

4. We become dependent on a lack of inconveniences.

This is what makes some people dependent on comfortable situations. People who can't stand the thought of going camping, taking them away from their hot showers, black-out blinds and wifi, are dependent on conveniences. Being accustomed to facing minor inconveniences makes us tougher and more versatile.

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