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Hey {{ first name | there }}! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋 You can catch up on our previous editions right here.
This week: It’s all about “attention residue”, or why part of your brain stays stuck on the last task after you've moved on, and how to close the gap — let’s talk about it.
🍯 Why Some Tasks “Stick” to Your Brain
So you’ve just ticked off an item on your to-do list, but it’s still on your mind hours, sometimes even days, later.
What gives?
There’s a ton of reasons why tasks might stick around in your brain long after they’re cleared off your plate; here are a few of the most common:
💫 The task had a big impact on your life: It’ll take a lot longer for your brain to “unstick” itself from life-altering and time-consuming work, like applying to your dream university.
🐢 You spent a long time working: Speaking of time-consuming, the longer a task takes you from start to finish, the more time your brain might spend processing and analyzing it (on top of recovering from it) after it’s done.
🚧 You ran into delays, obstacles, and other roadblocks that steered you off course: Our brains are wired to look out for threats. So if we run into an issue along the way, it’s easy to get sidetracked. And while solving problems and finding ways to prevent them is a useful skill to have, it’s also not an ideal pursuit when you’ve got other things to do.
This is all well and good when a task is considered done, archived, or otherwise totally taken care of.
But what about those “sticky” tasks that just never seem to close, regardless of whether they’re actually done or not? Read on for troubleshooting tips.
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Now, what to do about attention residue!
👩🔧 Troubleshooting: If a task won’t stop playing on your mind, chances might be that…
🪢 there’s still a loose end or “unknown” somewhere.
It’s a lot harder to set down a task or problem that’s currently unresolved. This is especially true when you’re not sure what the loose end is, what’s causing it, or how to fix it.
How to fix it: Like we just said, sometimes, you won’t know how to fix it immediately. But that doesn’t mean you can’t work on it in other ways, like seeking the tools, support, and resources you need to close the gap.
🫨 unprocessed emotions are running in the background.
“Randomly” remembering a task can be your subconscious mind’s way of alerting you that it’s still draining your emotional energy. Same goes for those times when you feel “off” but can’t put your finger on why.
How to fix it: When it crops up, take time to explore your emotions surrounding it. Don’t be afraid to face things; even the most menacing inner demons will shrink in the light of acknowledgement, perception, and effort.
🤝 it requires collaborating, which can introduce more blockers.
Regardless of how well you work with others, even efficient collaboration includes some level of friction.
You’re still relying on another person to show up, give input, and be cordial with you (which, let’s be real, doesn’t always happen).
How to fix it: Focus on your input, your energy, and your half of all interactions. As long as you show up and do your best, the rest is out of your hands (which leads us to the next speedbump).
😮💨 the outcome is beyond your control.
If you’ve done your bit, but something (or someone) else is holding things up, it’s only natural for your brain to fret about potential related consequences.
How to fix it: Try to notice when an emotion attached to the outcome crops up. Use affirmations or breathing techniques to validate and steady yourself. Then, practice gently letting it all go, or setting it all down, one moment at a time.
🍱 the “task” is actually an entire project.
Knowing the difference between the two is key for prioritizing well and planning properly.
Think of a project as a “bundle” of single tasks, plus other elements, like resources, tools, and skills.
Example: “Submit college application”. Before you can fill out the actual form, you’ll need to graduate from secondary education, sort out finances and housing, and do dozens more things that take lots of time and effort.
How to fix it: Treat it like a project instead of a single task. Unwrap any task “bundles” into their separate parts, and identify any other relevant bundles. Group everything together however makes the most sense for your brain (in a paper journal, productivity app, a mix of the two, etc.).
🪅 Flocus Picks
A curated list of things worth sharing.
Your Task Lists Are Too Long (The Flow Archives) — A deeper dive into those pesky projects masquerading as tasks
Removing Friction 101 (The Flow Archives) — How to spot friction and what to do about it
celtic lofi (Playlist) — Throw on this relaxing mix when your brain needs a breather
✨ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard
Attention residue thrives when everything is floating loose in your head. Flocus keeps your tasks visible and out of your mind, so finishing something actually feels finished.
🗳️ POLL: What kind of task sticks with you longest?
Attention residue can be tricky to shake off, but with some exploration and small shifts, you can tackle it in no time.
What’d you think of this one?
Until next Sunday,
Flocus Team
