People Experiencing Cognitive Overload Usually Have 6 Habits That Make Them Easily Overwhelmed
Epic-film / ShutterstockWhen your brain is juggling too many tasks or being pushed to make too many decisions all at once, even simple things can start to feel like a lot.
This kind of cognitive overload often creeps up slowly, often sped along unknowingly by habits people pick up in an effort to either relax or get more done that just add to their pile of responsibilities. Once you can recognize what you're doing, it becomes easier to understand why it's all becoming a little too much.
People who are experiencing cognitive overload tend to have these habits that make them feel overwhelmed:
1. Constantly checking their phone
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People with limited mental bandwidth often check their phone constantly. A brief glance at a notification can turn into checking messages, which then turns into scrolling social media, or responding to emails before they know it. Suddenly, their attention is being pulled in five different directions, and they can't keep up.
The problem is that every new notification gives their brain another thing to process. Small interruptions like a phone make it harder to concentrate on their current tasks. Before long, they feel hopelessly distracted without knowing why.
2. Trying to do everything at once
When someone struggles with mental fatigue, they may try to tackle everything on their plate at the same time. They answer emails while making dinner, or start cleaning before they finish what they were already doing. Multitasking feels like the fastest way to catch up.
In reality, though, it works the other way around. Instead of giving their brain one thing to focus on at a time, they constantly switch gears, so nothing ever feels fully finished.
3. Overthinking minor decisions
People who can't give their brain a break spend way too much energy thinking about decisions that really shouldn't require that much thought. Even the tiniest choice can become a full-blown debate in their head, even something as minor as what they should eat or wear.
Making any decisions becomes strangely exhausting. They second-guess themselves because they're always worrying about making a mistake or choosing poorly. The more they analyze the details, the harder it is to make a choice and move on.
4. Struggling to take real breaks
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Someone who is mentally overloaded may have a hard time taking a break without feeling like they should be doing something else. It feels impossible to sit down for a few minutes and not try to check their phone or tidy something up. Rest feels like less of a necessity and more like wasting time.
Their brain never gets an opportunity to fully switch off. They're already feeling mentally tired by the time they return to their responsibilities. They keep pushing through when what they really need is to let themselves take a pause.
5. Keeping a mental to-do list
People who feel like their mind is in overdrive rarely write out a physical list of everything they need to do. They'd rather keep it all inside their head. They try to remember the appointment they need to schedule and the groceries they need to buy, and their brain becomes a revolving door of what they need to do next.
They're so afraid to forget something that they just continuously replay it instead of just writing it down and putting it in a safe spot. This giant pile of tasks can already get extremely heavy to carry, and they just keep adding to it.
6. Saying yes when they shouldn't
Someone who is stretched way too thin might be prone to saying yes when they really should be saying no. They don't want to disappoint anyone, so they'll agree to help a friend or squeeze another favor into an already busy day.
They tend to convince themselves they can somehow fit everything in. Before long, their free time disappears, and their growing list of commitments becomes another major source of stress.
Kayla Asbach is a writer with a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
