The Hidden Cost of Cognitive Overload and Ways to Overcome It with Dr. Eric Bean
Ever feel like your brain is just… full? Emails ping, notifications pile up, meetings blur together, and suddenly you miss something small but important. It’s not a lack of care; it’s cognitive overload.
In this solo episode, Dr. Eric Bean unpacks what happens when our mental “jar” overflows. Listen as he explores how cognitive overload quietly erodes performance, decision-making, and even empathy. Through neuroscience, psychology, and practical tools, Dr. Bean reveals simple ways to reclaim focus, reduce mental fatigue, and perform at your best without burning out.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding cognitive load: How constant task-switching, multitasking, and stress reduce your brain’s capacity for clear thinking.
- The science of overload
- Inner game strategies: The Parking Lot, Mind the Margins, and Mindful Monotasking
- What high-pressure environments reveal about decision fatigue
- The real cost of mental overload
Highlights:
- [00:23] What is cognitive load?
- [01:02] Understanding context in performance environments
- [03:10] How overload contributes to diagnostic mistakes
- [06:18] What happens when working memory is maxed out
- [06:55] The myth of multitasking
- [08:15] How overload impacts decision-making and creativity
- [10:16] Inner vs. outer game of performance
- [11:12] The Parking Lot technique
- [12:24] Protecting margins and mental space
- [13:36] Reducing context switching and attention residue
- [14:48] Pause and eliminate interruptions
- [16:10] Building transition routines between meetings
- [16:47] Integrating micro resets into daily habits
Resources:
- Deep Work by Cal Newport – on focus, flow, and eliminating distraction
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman – understanding system 1 and system 2 thinking
Connect with Us:
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