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: We’re breaking out the computer analogy again to explore how your brain is great at running lots of apps at once, but not so great at storing files for later — and what you can do to fix it. Let’s dig in!

We often compare the human brain to a supercomputer.

A real computer in good working condition has all the parts you need to make things happen. This includes processing power to run apps (RAM) and lots of internal storage (hard drive).

But here’s where the comparison falls short:

Your brain is great at generating ideas (high RAM), but not organizing and storing them (low hard drive space).

This is why you tend to forget all those brilliant ideas you have in the shower if you don’t write them down (i.e., store them in an “external hard drive”).

It’s also why you tend to remember all those “other things you need to do” at the worst possible moments, but struggle to recall them when you sit down to make your task list.

“I’ll remember later” creates invisible stress because your brain keeps it all running in the background.

Instead of saving stuff to a file for later, each task is like an open tab or app, slowly but surely draining your “battery”.

Also, mental overload involves so much more than simply doing, it’s also tracking, remembering, and worrying.

The more you hold in your head, the less clear and calm you feel, (even if you’re not “busy” on paper).

But how do you know you’re carrying too much, other than a gut feeling and a persistent exhaustion? Let’s take a look.

Now that you know the signs of mental overload, let’s dig deeper into what causes it and how to add some balance and space.

Real quick: Whether you’re a student or a working professional, typing everything out all day is exhausting when you could speak your thoughts into clean, usable writing instead.

Wispr Flow does exactly that. Here’s a quick message from them 👇️

Founders spend too much time drafting the same kinds of messages. Wispr Flow turns spoken thinking into final-draft writing so you can record investor updates, product briefs, and run-of-the-mill status notes by voice. Use saved snippets for recurring intros, insert calendar links by voice, and keep comms consistent across the team. It preserves your tone, fixes punctuation, and formats lists so you send confident messages fast. Works on Mac, Windows, and iPhone. Try Wispr Flow for founders.

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Now, here’s how to clear mental clutter!

An “open loop” = anything unfinished, undecided, or not captured somewhere safe.

Some open loops aren’t tasks — they’re decisions you haven’t made yet, things you need to buy, and all that media you bookmarked for later but haven’t returned to yet.

They trip you up because your brain treats open loops like emergencies even when they aren’t.

Which is why a single “sticky” thought or loop can drain more energy than a full to-do list.

Read that one again.

Then, recall one of your current open loops. Consider how long it’s been left open, how many times it’s boomeranged back to you, and how long it will realistically take to close.

With this in mind, let’s explore how you can effectively exit some of those apps and free up some mental processing power.

Doesn’t matter if it’s a notes app or paper list — pick a capture method you’ll actually use.

If you’re like us, you’ll feel compelled to organize this list immediately. Resist that urge, because organizing requires a different part of your brain. At this stage, you just need to get it all (or most) of it out.

Now it’s time to organize. There are so many ways you can do this, but here’s one to try if you haven’t already:

Use this semi-sorted list as your single home base for everything you need to store externally.

If you’re thinking, “I already know this won’t work for me,” don’t worry; if your brain doesn’t trust the list, it’ll keep reminding you anyway.

Scroll on for more ways you can create your brain’s “external hard drive” to free up space and conserve energy, from our archives.

A curated list of things worth sharing.

When your brain is overloaded, having one calm place to offload makes all the difference. Flocus gives you a gentle home base for your tasks, ideas, and focus sessions so you’re not trying to store everything in your head.

Go to Flocus

If you’re feeling overloaded but can’t quite put your finger on why, we hope this helps bring some clarity and direction to your days.

It’s something we struggle with constantly, too — got any tips for us? Or thoughts to share? We’d love to hear em! Hit reply and sound off.

Until next Sunday,

Flocus Team