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cognitive load

focus information thoughts
by
Livia Farkas (author)  

First published: 4 March, 2025 | Last edited: 1 April, 2025 || 📚🕒 Reading Time: < 1 minute

Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental effort being used at any given time.

For neurodivergent people, activities that others might find automatic (like maintaining expected facial expressions or processing background noise) can significantly increase cognitive load.

When cognitive load is high, the brain prioritizes essential tasks over social performance.

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Related Terms

auditory stimming

Auditory stimming is a natural self-regulatory behavior that involves making sounds with your voice, either through non-word vocalizations (vocal stimming) or speech-based expressions (verbal stimming). This form of stimming helps with emotional regulation, sensory processing, and achieving comfort and focus.

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inertia

Inertia is the experience of being unable to start (or stop) an activity despite wanting to. It's a common neurodivergent experience related to executive function, and not caused by laziness, procrastination or lack of motivation. Like a car without fuel, no amount of pressing the gas pedal will help when the resources needed for action aren't available.

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object constancy

Object constancy is the notion that you remain connected and aware of items or people even when they are not visible or physically around. Difficulties in object constancy lead to the "out of sight, out of mind" experience, which is very common with ADHD folk. Not to be confused with object permanence, which is a developmental stage in babies, and relates to them believing things genuinely stop existing when not in sight.

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communication memory relationships
internalised ableism

Internalised ableism is a psychological construct that refers to the internalisation of negative beliefs, stereotypes, and prejudices about disabilities that are prevalent in society. It involves self-stigmatization and the development of a negative self-concept based on one's disability and onboarding negative beliefs said to us by parental figures, teachers, grown-ups and society in general.

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waiting mode

Waiting mode is a psychological state characterized by heightened anticipation or anxiety while awaiting a specific outcome or event. In the neurodivergent, especially ADHD community it usually means the period before an event that needs focus or attention spent in a sort of paralysing waiting mode, not being able to do little else until the event is over.

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context switching

Context switching refers to the cognitive process of shifting attention between different tasks or mental states. It involves disengaging from one task and engaging in another, requiring the brain to change its focus, rules, and objectives. This process can be mentally taxing due to the cognitive load involved in stopping one task and starting another, shifting gears to focus on the new task, and getting accustomed to the new situation with all its stimuli. Frequent context switching and jumping from task to task can lead to a decrease in productivity and efficiency.

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About the Author

  • Livia Farkas

    Livia is a Neurodivergent Adaptation Educator with a sharp sense for simplifying complex ideas. Since 2008, she's developed 294 distinct techniques catered to the needs of clients. A total of 5058 alumni have enrolled in one or more of the 8 online courses she co-developed with Adam, offering neurodivergence-inclusive frameworks for time management, goal setting, self-care for mental health, and small-business management. Her life goal is to be a walking permission slip for neurodivergent adults. In her free time, she enjoys stickers & planners, crochet & roller skates, and running around with her pet bunny Rumi.

    View all posts

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