The secret to stopping mental overwhelm in its tracks? Support “working memory.”
Your working memory is like a whiteboard – it’s the part of your mind where you hold the information needed to go about your day (to-do lists, phone numbers, etc.)
You can lighten your mental load and get a clear head with my tried and true practices for getting information from your working memory onto paper.
Check out this video, follow my tips, and watch your focus grow!
What do you do when your head holds too much at one time? How about when your young person’s head is too full?
No matter how big or small the tasks are, too many of anything up in your brain can become too much very quickly. I call this working memory. When your “mental whiteboard” is too full, it’s hard to get any of them done!
I like to think of working memory as a whiteboard in the front of your brain where you are holding onto a variety of information, while working through your day. Once you use information in your working memory, you can release it and move on to the next piece of information. However, if your brain is not well-trained to stay focused, (i.e. you start and stop a lot of projects), you will be holding in your working memory your entire to-do’ list for the day. Not a good use of anyone’s time.
Here are some of my tips on how to clear your whiteboard
- Do the quick stuff first. If it will take less than 5 minutes, put it at the top of the list! That way, they’ll be done.
- Section off the things that will take longer. It’s a great idea to physically write them down in a calendar – one that you will see every day. Separating the tasks by difficulty and noting the deadline for each task.
- Think about when you are going to have time to do the tasks. Do you have a study hall period in school? Is there a weeknight when you don’t have any activities? Do you have a day off of school soon? Maybe you can get a bunch of them done in that free time!
Remember to keep the calendar in a place where you will see it. This will set you up for success!
Tip: learn more about AET’s parent resources here
