Topic - Cognitive Offloading
When our desks get to be such a mess that we can’t work effectively, we stop and organize. We put away the things that aren’t important and prepare to deal with the things that are priorities.
It’s like shifting the load. Our brains do exactly the same thing.
If we have trouble remembering something, we write it down or tell someone. This is called “cognitive offloading”.
We organize and prioritize our brain’s energy to deal with the necessary pieces of information. We take information out of our minds and put it into our calendars, notepads and digital devices.
This frees up our cognitive energy for other tasks.
Think of it like cranes lifting the steel containers off the decks of cargo ships. It feels so good to get it off my mind.
I also refer to those calendars, notepads and devices as “external neurology”. Out of your brain and into an iPhone.
Teach your kids cognitive offloading strategies to improve their performance.
