Cognitive Load Theory

How Stress Eats Up Your Brain Power Fast

💥 Cognitive Overload: Why You’re Too Fried to Function 🧠 Ever stare blankly at your fridge and end up DoorDashing garbage again? Yeah — that’s not just laziness. That’s cognitive load theory in action. Every tiny choice you make eats away at your mental bandwidth — and by the end of the day, you're toast. 🧪 A 2018 study in PNAS showed that decision fatigue spikes when you're stressed, making you impulsive (hello $200 jacket) or avoidant ("let’s just not decide at all"). And if you’re rocking an ADHD brain? Buckle up. A 2021 study in Journal of Attention Disorders found ADHD folks are more prone to decision fatigue — even small choices feel like climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops. 🔄 OCD turns this into a prison: You’re not deciding — you’re spiraling. A 2020 Psychiatry Research study showed OCD patients take much longer to choose because they’re terrified of picking “wrong,” which only feeds the anxiety monster. So what do we do about it? 👉 Limit options 👉 Set time limits 👉 Accept “good enough” 👉 Practice self-compassion — especially if your brain’s wired differently You’re not broken. You’re overloaded. Stop blaming yourself for being exhausted from the mental gymnastics of daily life.