I recently discovered the expression, “novelty drain”, coined by Chase Hughes. Chase is founder and CEO of Applied Behavior Research, leading behavior expert, and author. In Hughes’ usage, a novelty drain refers to the idea that frequent, unmanaged novelty (new experiences, changes, stimuli, etc.) can deplete your attention and cognitive/psychological resources. This in turn reduces focus, making it harder to maintain discipline or progress toward goals. Hughes recommends identifying and then avoiding the novelty drains in our lives. In other words, he advises eliminating unnecessary or distracting newness so that you conserve your mental bandwidth for what truly matters.
What “Novelty Drains” Means in This Context
- Novelty captures attention: Humans are wired to notice new or unexpected stimuli because novelty activates attentional and motivational brain systems. This is a well-established cognitive phenomenon showing that novel stimuli draw attention and can distract from ongoing tasks.
- Drains vs. benefits: While novelty can be beneficial (e.g., enhancing learning, motivation, and creative insight), Hughes frames excess or unmanaged novelty as a drain. A drain is something that siphons your focus away from priority goals and habitual routines.
- Practical advice from Hughes: He suggests reducing unnecessary novelty in your life (the “drains”) and only preserving novelty that you intentionally create for growth or reinforcement of goals; what he calls “measurable wins”.
How It Relates to Productivity and Self-Discipline
In the context of personal development or influence, the concept of novelty drains intersects with ideas from psychology about habituation and cognitive load:
- Repeated exposure to new stimuli without purpose diminishes attention and can increase cognitive fatigue.
- People perform better on tasks when they minimize constant distractions and habituate to productive routines, preserving mental energy for meaningful challenges.
So “novelty drain” isn’t a mainstream psychological theory with strict research backing yet. Rather, it is a practical interpretation Hughes uses to explain how unmanaged novelty can deplete attention and focus. Hughes encourages people to remove or control extraneous new stimuli to improve discipline and goal attainment.
Want More?
I reveal one method for “shocking your system” by completely eliminating novelty drains for a short time in my post: The One-Day Dopamine Fast
- What is Power Posing?
- Are Dopamine Detoxes a Scam?
- Plan Your Day the Night Before
- First Thing in the Morning
- Selecting a Morning Routine
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* Header image: Science library of Upper Lusatia in Görlitz, Germany by Ralf Roletschek
* Header image: Water going down a drain by MrX. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
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