The Hidden Toll: How Life Events Impact Productivity

     A little over six years ago, I got a call that my dad was hospitalized. It wasn’t a call I was expecting, but I should have been. I had seen the signs. He was worried about his health. He had quit doing some of the things he loved. He mentioned these things in every conversation, but for years, my dad had seemed invincible. Stubborn and untouchable.

     Until he wasn’t.

     When the call came, he was in ICU on a ventilator.  My family and I quickly traveled to be by his side, and it was a very emotional journey for many reasons. He didn’t live long after I saw him in ICU. I never got to hear his voice again. I did say goodbye in my way. Maybe he heard me at his bedside.

     We left my hometown shortly after, and I returned to work. Months later, we had another family emergency that needed my attention, and as I think back to that year, I was not at my best. I remember living in a fog. I remember not handling the second crisis well. I remember crying a lot. I remember anger and sadness. I remember fumbling.

     In times like these, I expect a lot out of myself. I expect to be able to handle the same amount of work I did when I wasn’t going through a lot. When the second family emergency happened, I cracked. My façade crumbled, and I did along with it. My burnout that year was epic, and as the school year ended, I was so sick that I ended up in bed for about three days with a high fever.

     I didn’t know then what I know now. I didn’t realize the toll of managing and attempting to solve these crises that were, at the time, part of life. Add to that a demanding job that took as much or even more from me, and you have a recipe for continuous stress, sleepless nights, and burnout. But, it doesn’t have to be this way.

The relationship between cognitive load and burnout

     Listening to a recent podcast brought that year back to me. A therapist discussed the concept of cognitive load, which is the mental energy used to process information, manage decisions, and manage tasks. Cognitive load theory isn’t anything new, but new to me. The therapist, KC Davis, spoke on the Mel Robbins Podcast, and she said that when we are going through a lot, our minds can’t process or do as much because it is so busy trying to process the trauma.

     I felt constantly tired and worn when I was going through the loss of my dad and yet another family crisis that year. When you’re going through a trauma or a life-changing event, that event devours your cognitive load, and your mind can’t process or do as much as you did before. It’s too busy making sense of what you just went through. So, if you aren’t working as efficiently or reacting as well after a difficult time in your life, there is good reason, and it has to do with cognitive load. 

     This makes sense when you consider that the hallmark symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an alteration in cognitive processes such as memory, attention, planning, and problem-solving, according to the “Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience“ article published in 2012.

The role of cognitive load in teacher burnout

     Education has been my world for so long as a student and now as a teacher, and the connection between that world and intense decision-making is more than many people realize. The demands on teachers seem to grow daily, which results in the term "cognitive load" taking on an exceedingly significant meaning. Teachers juggle many responsibilities, from managing classrooms to lesson planning, grading, and supporting students' emotional needs. Maneuvering students' complex and varied emotions alone can take a toll on teachers, and I know this from experience.

     In the classroom, you watch students go through their traumas and loss, and we often don’t think about how much we sometimes need a break from that intensity to manage our health and well-being. A continuously intense cognitive load threatens one’s mental health and could result in burnout and emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion.

     For teachers and other professionals in similarly demanding environments, the impacts of prolonged periods of high-level stress and excessive cognitive load can cause burnout. After several bouts with burnout, I have learned ways to avoid it:

1. Self-Care and Stress Management:

Prioritize self-care and stress management techniques. Mindfulness, exercise, and adequate sleep can help reduce stress and improve cognitive resilience. Daily exercise is one of my go-to’s, and I notice the difference on days I don’t get my body moving.

2. Effective Time Management:

Implementing efficient time management strategies, like creating detailed schedules and prioritizing tasks and downtime and breaks, can alleviate cognitive load by helping you manage your workload and energy more effectively.

3. Collaborative Support:

Building a support network can provide emotional support and resources to help manage your cognitive load.

4. Simplify Tasks:

Find ways to make your life easier such as reducing paperwork and using tools and technology to simplify your workload. Timers to help you switchtasks and stay on track and clear but realistic deadlines for work completion are just some examples of strategies you can use to help.

     In the high-pressure world of education and in life in general, recognizing and addressing the impact of cognitive load on burnout is critical for maintaing a happy and healthy life. By understanding the relationship between cognitive load and productivity, we can create environments that support our well-being and enhance efficiency. In the ongoing battle against burnout, let's remember that a lighter cognitive load paves the way for living the life we want instead of living the life we feel we should.