Mental health crash course #6: Should you take the easy reward now or wait for better?

A new mental health video lesson explores why people tend to choose immediate but smaller rewards over better outcomes that require waiting. The lesson examines everyday dilemmas like quick cash versus larger delayed payments, or one more TikTok scroll versus doing something more meaningful.

When faced with a choice between 50 now or 500 six months from now, many people instinctively reach for the immediate option — even when the math clearly favours waiting. This psychological tendency is at the heart of the sixth instalment in a mental health crash course video series exploring the everyday mechanics of our minds.

The same pattern plays out in smaller, more mundane moments: one more TikTok video followed by another five minutes of scrolling, instead of switching to a more productive or fulfilling activity. According to the lesson, when something tempting is right in front of us, we are wired to gravitate toward the easier or more immediately accessible choice rather than holding out for a greater benefit down the line.

This tendency — often described in psychology as delay discounting or present bias — has wide-ranging effects on personal finances, habits, health decisions, and overall wellbeing. Understanding why our brains work this way is the first step toward making more intentional choices, which is precisely the goal of the ongoing mental health video series.