DR. Rizaldy R. Ferrer, PHD

Licensed Psychologist | Online psychological services available across participating PSYPACT states

Category: Attention & Memory

Why Unfinished Things Stay on Our Minds

Have you ever finished your workday but continued thinking about an unanswered email? Or tried to relax while remembering errands, conversations, appointments, and half-finished tasks?

Psychological research has long examined our tendency to mentally return to unfinished goals. More recent work on the Zeigarnik effect suggests that uncompleted tasks can remain cognitively accessible, particularly when they represent goals we’re still pursuing (Masicampo & Baumeister, 2011). That’s one reason something small can continue popping into your thoughts even when you’re trying to focus elsewhere.

Interestingly, completing the task isn’t always necessary to quiet that mental activity. Research by Masicampo and Baumeister found that making a specific plan for an unfinished goal could reduce its interference with unrelated activities. In other words, sometimes the brain doesn’t need you to do everything immediately—it may benefit simply from knowing what happens next.

This is one reason writing things down, making plans, and creating external reminders can feel relieving. Instead of repeatedly rehearsing “Don’t forget this,” we give the responsibility somewhere else to live. Making room mentally isn’t about becoming perfectly organized. Sometimes it simply means deciding, “I don’t need to keep thinking about this right now.”

Reference:
Masicampo, E. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (2011). Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(4), 667–683.

Why We Remember Experiences More Than Time

Summer often seems to disappear faster than we expect. One reason may be that our brains don’t remember life by counting the days that pass—they remember the moments that stand out.

Research suggests that experiences that are new or emotionally meaningful are more likely to be stored as lasting memories than routine, predictable events (Schacter, Addis, & Buckner, 2007). When our days follow the same pattern, they tend to blend together. But even small moments of novelty—trying a new café, taking a different walking route, watching a sunset, or having an uninterrupted conversation—can make a season feel richer in hindsight.

This helps explain why a summer filled with meaningful moments often feels fuller in retrospect than one spent constantly busy. It’s not necessarily about doing more. Often, it’s about noticing more and being fully present for the experiences we’re already having.

As summer winds down, it may be worth asking yourself a different question. Instead of, “How much did I accomplish?” consider asking, “What moments do I want to remember?” More often than we realize, the memories that stay with us aren’t the biggest events—they’re the ordinary moments that we truly experienced.

Reference

Schacter, D. L., Addis, D. R., & Buckner, R. L. (2007). Remembering the past to imagine the future: The prospective brain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 8(9), 657–661.

Your Brain on Distraction

Why Multitasking Isn’t Helping—and What It’s Really Doing to Your Brain

Ever feel mentally exhausted after “just checking your phone” while working? That’s not just in your head—your brain actually burns more energy when you jump between tasks.

The Myth of Multitasking

Many people believe they can multitask—write an email, reply to a message, skim a news alert, and jump back into a meeting—all in quick succession. But neuroscience says otherwise. Your brain isn’t truly doing multiple things at once. Instead, it’s rapidly switching from one task to another, a process called task-switching.

Each time you switch, your brain:

  • Disengages from the current task
  • Reorients to the new task
  • Retrieves new rules or memories
  • Re-establishes context

This creates a “switch cost”—a delay that increases cognitive load and decreases efficiency. Even brief diversions (like a notification ping or app switch) can reduce your performance on complex tasks by up to 40% (Rubinstein et al., 2001).

What’s Happening in Your Brain?

When you jump from app to app, your brain’s prefrontal cortex—responsible for attention and decision-making—goes into overdrive. The dopamine system, which craves novelty, rewards you for checking something new… but not for finishing a task. This trains your brain to seek stimulation over completion.

Over time, this habit weakens your brain’s:

  • Working memory (your ability to hold info in mind)
  • Sustained attention
  • Impulse control
  • Ability to enter deep, focused states (flow)

How to Protect Your Focus

Give your brain a break. Try these research-backed strategies:

  • Batch your tasks: Group similar activities together to reduce switching.
  • Use the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds—especially helpful for screen fatigue.
  • Silence unnecessary notifications: Keep only essential alerts to prevent reactive checking.
  • Practice monotasking: Focus on one task for 15–25 minutes (Pomodoro method) before taking a break.
  • Mindfulness breaks: Even 1–2 minutes of stillness or breathing helps reset cognitive control systems.

Remember:
Distraction isn’t just inconvenient—it reshapes how your brain functions. Protect your focus like you would any other muscle. Give it rest, train it intentionally, and don’t overload it.

References

Rubinstein, J. S., Meyer, D. E., & Evans, J. E. (2001). Executive control of cognitive processes in task switching. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27(4), 763–797. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.27.4.763

Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(37), 15583–15587. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0903620106

Monsell, S. (2003). Task switching. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(3), 134–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(03)00028-7

Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Klocke, U. (2008). The cost of interrupted work: More speed and stress. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 107–110. https://doi.org/10.1145/1357054.1357072

Gazzaley, A., & Rosen, L. D. (2016). The distracted mind: Ancient brains in a high-tech world. MIT Press.

Executive Functioning: The Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” and ADHD

Have you ever walked into a room and totally forgotten why you were there? Or started a chore, then got distracted and moved on to something else without finishing? That might sound familiar to many people—but for someone with ADHD, it happens a lot more often, and it’s usually not their fault.

This is where executive functioning comes in. Think of it as the brain’s air traffic control system—helping you plan, focus, remember, manage time, and control emotions. When this system doesn’t work well, it’s like trying to fly planes with no radar. Things can get messy, fast.

What Is Executive Functioning?

According to leading psychologist Dr. Russell Barkley, executive functions are mental skills we use every day to get things done. These include:

  • Self-awareness – noticing what we’re doing and how we’re doing.
  • Self-restraint – stopping ourselves from saying or doing things too quickly.
  • Working memory – remembering things long enough to use them.
  • Emotional regulation – handling our feelings in a healthy way.
  • Self-motivation – getting started on something, even when we don’t feel like it.
  • Planning and problem-solving – making a plan and adjusting it when needed.
  • Organization – keeping track of things and staying tidy.

All of these skills help us function at home, school, or work. When they are weak, daily life becomes much harder.

How ADHD Affects Executive Functioning

People with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) have a brain-based condition that affects executive functioning. They may struggle to stay focused, manage time, remember instructions, or hold back emotions—even when they’re really trying.

Dr. Barkley says ADHD is not just about being hyper or distracted. It’s a developmental delay in self-regulation. In other words, it’s harder for people with ADHD to stop, think, and act in ways that match their goals.

For example:

  • They might say something without thinking and regret it right away.
  • They may want to do homework, but their brain pulls them toward YouTube or gaming.
  • They may feel overwhelmed when asked to plan a big project.

These are not signs of laziness or carelessness. They are symptoms of how the ADHD brain works differently.

What Helps?

The good news is: executive functioning can improve with the right tools! Some strategies that research supports include:

  • Visual reminders and timers to stay on track.
  • Checklists to break big tasks into small steps.
  • Body movement and breaks to help reset focus.
  • Mindfulness techniques to help pause before reacting.
  • Daily planning routines to organize time and space.

Coaching, therapy, and sometimes medication can also support brain function and daily skills.

Everyone struggles with focus and planning sometimes. But for someone with ADHD, these challenges happen more often and have a bigger impact. Understanding executive functioning helps us show more support, not judgment.

With patience, practice, and support, people with ADHD can thrive—and their brains, while different, are full of creativity, ideas, and strength.

References

Barkley, R. A. (2012). Executive functions: What they are, how they work, and why they evolved. Guilford Press.

Barkley, R. A. (2020). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (4th ed.). Guilford Publications.

Sidebar