Disappointment Might Be Doing You a Favor

Try, Try Again: Maybe you’ve been staying up late doomscrolling — when you should be sleeping — more nights than you’d like to admit. Then, one rough morning of feeling exhausted finally makes you put the phone down earlier. New research from Japan offers a clue about what happens in the brain when you reach a breaking point like that.

The Study: Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology trained mice to navigate a virtual maze to reach a reward. Once the mice learned the route, the scientists changed it so the reward no longer appeared. Brain imaging showed that when the reward disappeared, the mice’s brains released a surge of acetylcholine, a chemical involved in learning. Mice with bigger surges were more likely to abandon the old route and try something new. Blocking acetylcholine made mice stick with the same choice even after the blocking agent stopped working.

The Takeaway: That frustrated feeling when a bad habit stops paying off might be your brain’s cue that it’s time to drop it and try something new.

Keep in Mind: Mice aren’t people, and our brains, fortunately, don’t work exactly the same way. However, the role of acetylcholine is worth a closer look because it’s also linked to addiction and OCD.