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 brain overload — what it is, what causes it, how to spot it, and ways to resolve it. Let’s dive in!
🌋 First, What’s Brain Overload?
Your brain is super powerful, but it has its limits.
Just like your phone slows down when there are too many apps open, overload happens when your brain tries to process too much information in a short time.
The causes of overload may seem obvious — but there’s a hidden factor that’s often overlooked.
When we talk about productivity, we usually talk about tasks, events, and responsibilities.
We rarely consider the thoughts, emotions, and general mental “debris” also taking up space in our brains.
When all this invisible stuff piles up alongside our to-dos, the simplest of things might feel impossible, or take a lot more energy than you have to spend.
While the goal is to close out some of the “tabs” in your brain, it’s important not to ignore your emotions and thoughts to make room for the so-called practical stuff.
But let’s hold that thought for a sec to talk about how to know when you’re overloaded — because you may not always realize it!
🤯 3 Signs You’re Overloaded
🫠 Decision fatigue — This is the exhaustion you feel simply from making too many choices, from what to eat for lunch to what time you’ll start studying.
🤬 Short fuse — You get intensely aggravated over small things, or you snap at others in interactions without meaning to.
🤔 Increased forgetfulness — This can even manifest as feeling like you’re forgetting something important, even if you aren’t.
Now that you know how to recognize when you’re overloaded, let’s explore how to hack through the mental chatter and lighten your cognitive load.
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Now, here’s your blueprint for freeing up brain space!
🧠 How to Free Up Space in Your Brain
Our top tip for freeing up mental space? Write it all down. Doesn’t matter if it’s paper or digital — you just need a place to get things out of your head.
Now, let’s take a look at how to tackle all the “extra” stuff your brain throws at you.
Thoughts
🧑⚖️ Judgments — Making judgments about ourselves and others is normal, but it’s not pleasant or rewarding. Practice noticing when you’re being judgmental and gently releasing it. If it helps, imagine the thought as a balloon, and picture yourself letting go of it and watching it float away.
🤕 Self-criticism — This is the voice that tells you you’re not “enough”. When your inner critic pipes up, try this affirmation: “This self-critical voice is so loud and persuasive precisely because I care deeply about what I’m doing.”
🤪 “Random” thoughts — So many thoughts that consume our energy make no sense at all, or have no effect on our lives. When these crop up, try focusing your attention solely on your breathing for a few moments. If that feels too hard, focus on an object that brings you comfort or is visually pleasing.
Emotions
😰 Fear — Most people battle a blend of true and imagined fear. Sort out the legitimate fear from imaginary scenarios by asking yourself: “What is the source of this fear? Is it an external factor, or simply a story or possible outcome that my mind has created?”
🙇 Stress — Heightened or prolonged stress often means you need more balance. When you’re operating from a place of stress, you need to make time for activities that bring calm and relief. And you need to protect that time against all threats and disruptions.
😒 Resentment — This emotion is almost always a sign of an issue that hasn’t been explored or communicated properly. Whether it’s with another person or yourself, don’t be afraid to shine a light on your resentment when it comes calling. Daring to explore what’s feeding it will take away a lot of its power.
Debris
😳 Intrusive thoughts — These are unwelcome and usually controversial thoughts that can feel intensely disturbing. Remember, not all thoughts reflect your true beliefs or desires. Whenever you have a thought that “shouldn’t” be there, try some of the tips from the Flocus Pick on intrusive thoughts below.
🥲 Old mental patterns — You’ve likely outgrown some of your old belief systems and thought patterns, but they might still crop up from time to time. Gently remind yourself, as many times as you need to: “These patterns no longer serve me, and I’m safe to release them.”
😵💫 Garden path thought loops — These trains of thought start out with something you want or intend to do, only to end up in a place where nothing gets done. These are tricky, which is why we wrote a dedicated newsletter about them!
🪅 Flocus Picks
A curated list of things worth sharing.
🎬 How Information Overload Destroys Your Brain (Video) — Some food for thought on slowing down and making space for true creativity
🎵 soft instrumentals for sensory overload (Playlist) — If your senses are feeling overloaded, throw on this soothing playlist to calm your mind, body, and spirit
📰 How to Overcome Intrusive Thoughts (Article) — This piece from Psychology Today explores what counts as an intrusive thought, why they feel so insurmountable, and how to overcome them whenever they appear
✨ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard
Feeling overloaded? Flocus can help you create more space and a calmer mindset.
Use the priority-based task list to tackle just a few important things at a time. Then set the vibe with ambient soundscapes and aesthetic focus themes that make your digital space feel peaceful, not chaotic.
🗳️ POLL: How full does your brain feel right now?
The next time you feel overloaded, try a few of these exercises and let us know how it goes.
We’re rooting for you!
Until next Sunday,
Flocus Team
