Mana Power as Will Power

After watching bunch of isekai anime, I started to admire the concept of metrics apart from physical hit points. There are primarily two metrics that are discussed most often: one about overall power and the other about energy (mana power) for using it. Both are used sometimes together, sometimes individually as different metrics in many different forms in different anime.

Since increasing the power can just simply be translated as skill in real world, there is not to much to discuss. The concept that fascinated me the most was that once the mana power of the user falls, it has direct effect on their will power. Once their mana power is drained they don't feel like doing anything.

Being found with lack of power alot of times myself I decided to research whether something like this exist. I found out that there is a concept called ego depletion which is similar to this. It is a concept in social psychology that refers to the idea that self-control or willpower draws upon a limited pool of mental resources that can be used up. When the energy for mental activity is low, self-control is typically impaired, which would be considered a state of ego depletion. In particular, experiencing a state of ego depletion impairs the ability to control oneself later on. A depleting task requiring self-control can have a hindering effect on a subsequent self-control task, even if the tasks are seemingly unrelated. Self-control plays a valuable role in the lives of many people. A lack of self-control can also have a negative impact on mental and physical health.

So I wanted to found how can I manage my mana power (aka will power), I initially thought it was very straight forward. If I do things I like, my mana power recovers and vice versa. But I found out that it is not that simple. I found out that there are two types of activities that can be done to recover mana power: restorative & recovery based. Restorative activities are those that are enjoyable and relaxing, such as watching a movie, reading a book, or taking a walk. Recovery activities are those that are necessary but not necessarily enjoyable, such as doing the dishes, paying bills, or doing laundry. Both types of activities can help you recover from ego depletion, but restorative activities are more effective.

Consider will as mana power, once its drained you dont feel like doing anything. But with enough mana you can do a lot of things. Understanding this theory need to find things to regenerate mana fast and store more.