By Gregory Brown, MD/PhD Candidate
Football season is among us! With that brings one of the most popular lenses with which to watch football: fantasy football.
Of course, football has numerous health issues with which we could take concern. But, for the moment, let us just consider one aspect of one part of the enormous football machine.
Fantasy football brings a highly fun, but stressful way for many to become more emotionally invested in the outcomes of football games. Actually, with the nature of scoring in fantasy football, an emotional pendulum can hinge on every play. A little hit of adrenaline as your player scores a touchdown or your opponent’s player drops the ball.
This is not unlike gambling (and involves all of the mental toll associated with gambling). But one psychological aspect many do not consider is the mental detriment of setting lineups. Because lineups can constantly be tweaked and edited throughout the week, the task is never completed. Often, people scour the internet trying to find the latest reports from practice or injury updates. The inability to complete the task saps precious brain resources throughout the week inducing a psychological effect.
Unfinished tasks lead to rumination
Unfinished tasks were found to increase rumination (repetitively thinking about the topic). The process of rumination educes chronic stress which induces a state of tension. Individuals have an innate need for task completion.
These stressful effects are worsened by time pressures and environmental expectations. The need to set the fantasy football lineup has a clear deadline at which decisions are final (the start of the game). With the addition of Thursday night football games, this time pressure is elevated. The highly competitive nature of many fantasy football leagues makes lineup setting all the more nerve-racking.
Sleep, an important component to brain health, can also be affected by unfinished tasks. This constant thinking about your lineup prevents the brain from getting the rest it needs.
We cannot get into the zone with unfinished task on our plate
The brain is also stripped of its ability to be full absorbed in other tasks. This is known as being in the ‘flow’ or ‘in the zone’. Normally, when we achieve flow, we become focused on the task at hand as perception of time and fatigue slips away. The presence of unfinished task disrupts our capacity to reach flow. Flow helps us to live in the moment and fosters psychological well-being.
One theory on the need to finish tasks is Lewin’s field theory. This theory poses that unfinished tasks cause a buildup of tension and a drive to finish the task. Continuous mental resources are devoted to the task. There is a need for closure and the task is elevated to the front of consciousness so that individuals vigilantly attempt to identify opportunities to complete the task.
Of all the things related to football and health, the mental well-being associated with setting a fantasy line-up may not immediately be considered cause for concern. But as we strive to maximize our focus, peace of mind, and cognitive health, it is important to acknowledge the effects various aspects of our life have on our psyche. Maybe just set your line-up and stick with it.