7 Tips for Reducing the Cognitive Load at Home

It’s 6 a.m. You’re standing in front of your closet, bleary-eyed and trying to decide on the perfect ensemble for the day. Here’s the problem: you’ve got too many choices. Your task, if you want to reduce stress and become more efficient, is to simplify the decision-making process.

This is what I define as Cognitive Load: quantities that outstrip capacity.

Decisions are the building blocks of our lives -- pile them too high and they topple. You can prevent this by creating a strong structure. In other words: how you place the blocks determines the stability of your foundation.

You can reduce your cognitive load by putting systems in place. It's all about front-loading and compartmentalizing mundane tasks.

1. Broken? Fix It or Toss It

What to do with the things that don’t work right or get the job done, leading to unfinished repair projects? Often we’ve grown used to or even attached to them, weighing down our cognitive load and decreasing productivity. Set a deadline to either complete your outstanding projects or simply let go and move on.

2. Organize for Easy Access

Order your physical space such that everything you own can be found, used, and put away easily. When storing items in drawers or bins, it’s best to organize them in a single layer. This eliminates the time needed to dig for items.

3. Put Your Paperwork in Place

Choose a system and stick with it. Make it a 10- or 20-minute part of your daily routine -- as soon as you get home, shred, file, or respond to it. Simple as that!

4. Plan Meals for the Coming Week

On Sunday, prep or cook enough food to get you from Monday to Friday.

Here’s a sample breakfast: One big batch of steel-cut oatmeal divided into eight-ounce jars. Each jar takes two minutes to reheat in the microwave or five minutes over steam. Throw some fruit, nuts or whatever else you like on top and eat it, or put the lid back on and take it with you! All you need to clean in the morning is the spoon and the jar.

5. Prep for the Next Day

This includes laying out clothes, pre-packing lunches in the fridge and, if you’re a superhero, the breakfast above is ready to go as well. Also, check the schedule to be sure you and the kids have everything they need for the day to come, pack it all up and put it by the front door. Even if you fall short, getting halfway to this goal will still make for a much calmer start to your day.

6. End-of-Day Reset

Return your home to its ideal condition at the end of each day. Parents, sending your kids to bed at a reasonable hour gives you that precious window of time to care for yourself and your home. If the order in your home runs deep enough, this should take just 10 to 15 minutes, leaving you close to an hour for a bubble bath and a glass of wine.

7. Expending Energy

How you choose to use your energy is entirely up to you. It starts with making choices that will allow you to live the closest approximation of the life you dream of at the pace you desire. Learning to set healthy limits on external demands on your time can go a long way toward regaining control of your days, nights, and weekends.