I have more to say, so here is part two.
Did you know that your brain consumes about 20% of your body’s energy, even though it accounts for only about 2% of your body weight?
Cognitive functioning isn’t just something psychologists measure in a clinic, it shapes nearly every moment of our daily lives. Readers often recognize themselves in these examples before they ever learn the term “cognitive functioning.”
In the last article I talked about when you’re stressed, sleep-deprived, or emotionally overwhelmed, your brain has fewer resources available for attention, memory, and decision-making. In this article, I wanted to add some of the most common ways it appears in everyday life so you can recognize it and move towards restoration or treatment. Thank you for allowing me to care you.
You lose your train of thought.
You’re telling a story and suddenly forget where you were going with it. You walk into another room and can’t remember why. This reflects working memory and attention.
You read without absorbing.
You finish a page of a book or an email and realize you have no idea what you just read. Your eyes moved across the words, but your brain wasn’t fully processing the information.
Decision-making feels exhausting.
Simple choices, what to cook for dinner, which email to answer first, or whether to attend an event, feel overwhelming. This is often a sign that your executive functioning is taxed.
You procrastinate, even when something is important.
Many people mistake procrastination for laziness. Often, it’s a breakdown in planning, prioritizing, task initiation, or emotional regulation, all components of executive functioning. Check out the original article that got us here below:
You constantly misplace things.
Keys. Glasses. Your phone. Your coffee cup. It’s not always forgetfulness; sometimes your attention was divided when you set them down.
Conversations become difficult to follow.
In a noisy restaurant or during a group meeting, you struggle to keep up because your brain has to filter distractions while processing language in real time.
You become easily distracted.
You start one task, notice a notification, check your email, remember you need to pay a bill, and twenty minutes later you’ve forgotten the original task. This reflects challenges with sustained attention and cognitive flexibility.
You forget appointments or deadlines.
Even with the best intentions, important dates slip your mind because your brain is juggling too much information at once.
You have trouble finding the right words.
Ever said, “It’s on the tip of my tongue”? Word retrieval can temporarily decline when you’re stressed, sleep-deprived, or mentally overloaded.
You react emotionally before thinking.
When you’re mentally fatigued, your “thinking brain” has fewer resources to regulate your emotions. You may become impatient, snap at loved ones, or overreact to minor frustrations.
Multitasking becomes impossible.
Research consistently shows that the brain doesn’t truly multitask, it rapidly switches between tasks. The more switching required, the greater the mental fatigue and the more mistakes you make.
You feel mentally exhausted after ordinary tasks.
You may spend an hour answering emails and feel as if you’ve worked an entire day. Cognitive fatigue is real, especially when your brain is constantly making decisions and processing information.
What Cognitive Functioning Looks Like at Different Ages
Children may forget instructions, struggle to stay focused in school, or have difficulty organizing homework.
College students often notice problems concentrating, retaining information, or managing multiple deadlines during periods of high stress.
Working adults may experience burnout, mental fatigue, difficulty prioritizing, and forgetfulness while balancing careers, parenting, and caregiving.
Older adults may notice slower processing speed or occasional word-finding difficulties, although significant or progressive cognitive decline should always be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
The Good News
Many everyday cognitive struggles are not permanent. When the underlying causes, such as chronic stress, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, nutritional deficiencies, medication side effects, or excessive digital stimulation, are addressed, cognitive functioning often improves.
Your brain is remarkably adaptable. Through healthy habits, meaningful mental stimulation, stress management, and adequate rest, you can strengthen many cognitive abilities throughout your life.
The next time you forget a name, lose your keys, or struggle to focus, pause before labeling yourself as “forgetful” or “bad at remembering.” Instead, ask a different question: What is my brain trying to tell me? It may not be failing—it may simply be overloaded, exhausted, or asking for the care and recovery it needs.
Reference
Michaud, M. (2016, August 7). Study reveals brain's finely tuned system of energy supply. University of Rochester Medical Center. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/study-reveals-brains-finely-tuned-system-of-energy-supply