In essence, cognitive load refers to the volume of information your working memory is processing at any given time, and how the intake of information can burden our cognitive capacity. The Cognitive Load Theory was developed in the 1980s by Australian educational psychologist John Sweller. Why is it so taxing to maneuver our way through the everyday artifacts of our work? And why does it sometimes feel the very technology that’s supposed to help us stay organized is making things worse? In short: cognitive overload. Inevitably, I end up with more browser tabs open than what could visibly fit in the tab menu bar (not to mention all my other tab-filled windows). In the face of this, I try to keep a mental map of which things were important or urgent, gingerly navigating my way through the mess into whatever I need to focus on at the time. Like many, I struggle to make time for this kind of maintenance, and I’m constantly battling that dreaded build-up of browser tabs, unread emails, and Slack notifications. Like a chef with well-placed utensils or a contractor with an organized tool belt, knowledge workers need to orchestrate their software tools to effectively get their work done. ![]() When it comes to knowledge workers though, keeping our digital workspaces neat and tidy is a bit more nebulous. Maintaining a neat workspace is pretty clear-cut in some industries – a restaurant kitchen without piles of dirty pots and pans a construction site without nails and scrap timber strewn across the floor.
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