Our brains are fascinating devices. They are capable of a vast amount of memory and thinking in amazingly short amounts of time. However, they are not completely infinite. They are limits. Those limits include what we call “cognitive load.”
In many cases, we make use of cognitive shortcuts called heuristics. Heuristics are mechanisms for coming up with a “close enough” answer to a question or problem. How long does it take to get downtown? “About x minutes.” Do you need to know it is precisely 22.75 minutes? Probably not. Heuristics are really valuable in a lot of life situations and we use them frequently. They reduce the amount of cognitive (thinking) effort needed to get anything done. It frees us up to get through routine or mundane tasks quickly and somewhat mindlessly.
Granted, there are some situations where close enough is probably NOT good enough. That’s where things get challenging. How much we can remember or how much we can calculate depend on a number of different factors. If we have multiple tasks that require a lot of focus, or a lot of thinking, our cognitive capacity starts filling up, not unlike a computer that has too many apps trying to work at the same time. It’s not that we are absent-minded, but rather focused on other things, or mentally demanding things.
One thing we can do for ourselves is to assess how many of those cognitively demanding tasks we are trying to tackle at any given time. Recognize there are limits. Plot out some distraction-free time and space for those kinds of tasks. Let others know that your focus will be on those tasks for the present. Then find a way to take breaks away from those tasks, where you “turn off” your brain from the intense focus (it will keep working in the background, don’t worry) and turn your focus to other important things in life, like your family, the world outdoors, and things that rejuvenate you.
Puzzle Pieces Coaching 