Do you sometimes feel as if you are constantly battling information overload? There always seems to be one more thing to read, listen to, or look up on an internet search. The sheer amount of information deluging you every day can make your brain feel fatigued and you may become more forgetful. You are experiencing information, or brain, overload.
Overload occurs when a person is exposed to more information than the brain can comfortably process at one time. This can lead to indecisiveness, poor decisions, and stress just because there is so much information you lose track of the things you really need to remember. Our brains are busier than ever before. We are barraged with facts, pseudo facts, chatter and rumour, all pretending to be legitimate information. Trying to keep track of what you need to know and what you can ignore is exhausting. Plus, we are all doing more. Think about it. In the past travel agents made our reservations, shop assistants helped us find what we needed, our groceries fitted into a basket or string bag, and we didn’t spend untold time on ‘hold’ on the telephone to access the simplest of services! Now we do most of these things ourselves with seemingly little service. We seem to be doing the jobs of half a dozen different people while still trying to keep up with our lives, children, grandchildren, parents, friends, maybe our careers, our hobbies, and favourite TV programmes.
So how can we do it without our brain being overloaded?
Organising information optimises our brain’s capacity.
Write it down!
Rather than carrying around a to-do list of 20 or 30 items, for example, put them on paper. Use a diary for those must-be-remembered appointments, tasks, or events. Once they are written down it is much easier to make objective decisions about what you will tackle and in which order. When information is all stored in your head, the brain has a tough time focusing on everything and uses too much of its energy trying to recall what’s the most important. Writing things down also aids memory.
Be organised.
Organising your physical environment lessens the burden on your brain. The common saying “A place for everything and everything in its place” is important, especially for those commonly misplaced items such as glasses, keys and cellphones. Place reminders for yourself – use post-it notes for important reminders. Perhaps you here that it is likely to rain tomorrow. Hanging your umbrella or raincoat on the door knob now relieves some of the brain clutter of constantly reminding yourself to remember it in the morning.
Multi-tasking is a myth!
How many times a day do you find yourself talking on the phone, answering a text message while in conversation, watching television while preparing a meal, trying to eat lunch while getting ready to go out. You may tell yourself you are multi-tasking, but this is simply not possible. What you are actually doing is rapidly shifting your attention from one task to another. This fast-paced see-saw of your attention depletes the brain’s glucose supply, and glucose is the very fuel your brain needs for your neurons to communicate with one another. You will reach a level of brain fatigue much earlier in the day by trying to do too many things at the same time than if you concentrate on one task at a time with sustained attention.
Schedule breaks
When you have many demands on your time, remember to schedule ‘down’ times, too. Take a few minutes for a walk around the block. Your brain will thank you! Research tells us that walking even 15 minutes a day helps the brain function better and stay healthier. Take time to read a book, notice the beauty around you, have a conversation with a friend, meditate, take a few deep breaths.
Have enough sleep
Sleep is vital for good brain and memory health. If this is a problem for you maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule that suits you and your over-all routine. Go to bed and get up around the same time each day, especially when you are focused on developing a good sleep habit. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and other chemicals that interfere with sleep and make your bedroom a comfortable sleep environment. Establish a calming pre-sleep routine, avoiding stimulating TV programmes and exercise close to bed time.
When you feel your brain is overloaded give it a break!
Dr. Allison Lamont is founder and clinician at the Auckland Memory Clinic. Contact her at
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