The Zeigarnik effect is our tendency to remember incomplete or interrupted tasks easier than completed tasks.
At first, the Zeigarnik Effect seems handy: We remember the things we still need to do.
<ul>
<li>But each incomplete task divides your focus, making it harder to concentrate on what is in front of you.</li>
<li>Another problem is that even if we can physically disconnect from work, our unfinished tasks will filter through to our family dinners, vacations, weekends and sleep.</li>
</ul>

The Zeigarnik Effect

Research shows that you can find relief from the Zeigarnik effect by simply planning to finish your tasks.
What you can do:
<ul>
<li>Make a habit of writing your tasks down.</li>
<li>Have a system for organizing and regularly reviewing your tasks.</li>
<li>Have an end of work shutdown ritual, so your mind knows it's time to switch off.</li>
<li>Identify a small step you can take to get started. Then your brain is more eager to keep going.</li>
<li>Don't forget to review what you've already accomplished.</li>
</ul>

How to snooze mental reminders

<h1>The Zeigarnik Effect</h1>Why it's so hard to stop thinking about everything we have to get done (and so easy to forget what we've already accomplished)<img src="https://25r4fj22vjh18a4i91qamh06-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cognitive_Biases_-Zeigarnik_2.png" alt="The Zeigarnik Effect explained" width="736" height="1044" srcset="https://25r4fj22vjh18a4i91qamh06-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cognitive_Biases_-Zeigarnik_2.png 1714w, https://25r4fj22vjh18a4i91qamh06-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cognitive_Biases_-Zeigarnik_2-1083x1536.png 1083w, https://25r4fj22vjh18a4i91qamh06-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cognitive_Biases_-Zeigarnik_2-1445x2048.png 1445w, https://25r4fj22vjh18a4i91qamh06-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cognitive_Biases_-Zeigarnik_2-141x200.png 141w, https://25r4fj22vjh18a4i91qamh06-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cognitive_Biases_-Zeigarnik_2-282x400.png 282w, https://25r4fj22vjh18a4i91qamh06-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cognitive_Biases_-Zeigarnik_2-436x618.png 436w, https://25r4fj22vjh18a4i91qamh06-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cognitive_Biases_-Zeigarnik_2-897x1272.png 897w">In the 1920s, Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik observed an odd thing. While dining out, she was impressed by the complex orders the wait staff was able to remember at one time. Yet, as soon as the bill was paid, the wait staff forgot completely what the orders were. This observation gave rise to the study of what would become known as the Zeigarnik Effect.The Zeigarnik Effect refers to our tendency to remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. At first glance the Zeigarnik Effect can seem like a handy adaptation: It’s good to remember the things we need to do, and it’s a positive thing to want to finish the things we start. The problem when it comes to our productivity is two-fold:First, each incomplete task your brain reminds you about takes up a bit of your attention, splitting your focus and making it harder to concentrate on whatever you’re currently working on. One <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21688924/" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">study</a> found that people who were interrupted during a task performed worse on a subsequent task than those who were allowed to complete the first task before starting the second one.Second, even if we manage to physically disconnect from work, the Zeigarnik Effect ensures that our unfinished tasks follow us home. They intrude on our family dinners, our vacations, our weekends, and our sleep. There will always be work left to do. We need a way to find relief from the Zeigarnik Effect so we can mentally disconnect in our hours away from work.The good news is you don’t have to actually complete all of your tasks in order to feel mental relief from the Zeigarnik Effect. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/10/the-psychology-of-the-to-do-list-why-your-brain-loves-ordered-tasks" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">Research shows</a> that simply making a plan to finish your incomplete tasks can snooze your brain’s automatic reminders.<h3>What you can do about it:</h3>Write your tasks down. Your brain is a terrible filing system. Instead of keeping tasks in your head, make a habit of writing them down as soon as they come to you. Keep a digital task manager like <a href="https://todoist.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">Todoist</a> on your computer and phone, so you’ll always have it handy to jot down a new to-do.Have a system for organizing and regularly reviewing your tasks. Your system won’t work if your brain doesn’t trust that it’s accurate and up-to-date. Create rituals for planning your day and week so your brain can trust you’re working on the right things at the right time and can worry about everything else later.Have an <a href="https://blog.doist.com/end-work-day/" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">end of work shutdown ritual</a>. Make a plan for tomorrow before you end the work day so your unfinished tasks don’t linger in your mind after-hours.Find a small way to just get started. The Zeigarnik Effect can also be used to our advantage. When you find yourself putting off a particularly big or difficult task, identify a very small first step you can take. The simple act of starting can trigger your brain to want to keep going to the end.Don’t forget to look back at how far you’ve come. Another negative side effect of the Zeigarnik Effect is that we quickly forget everything we’ve already accomplished. Don’t forget to look back at your completed tasks during a weekly review to celebrate what you’ve already

Why it's so hard to stop thinking about everything we have left to do (and so easy to forget what we've already accomplished)...

productivity

Productivity

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

timemanagement

Time Management

Why it's so hard to stop thinking about everything we have to get done (and so easy to forget what we've already accomplished)

In the 1920s, Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik observed an odd thing. While dining out, she was impressed by the complex orders the wait staff was able to remember at one time. Yet, as soon as the bill was paid, the wait staff forgot completely what the orders were. This observation gave rise to the study of what would become known as the Zeigarnik Effect.

The Zeigarnik Effect refers to our tendency to remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. At first glance the Zeigarnik Effect can seem like a handy adaptation: It’s good to remember the things we need to do, and it’s a positive thing to want to finish the things we start. The problem when it comes to our productivity is two-fold:

First, each incomplete task your brain reminds you about takes up a bit of your attention, splitting your focus and making it harder to concentrate on whatever you’re currently working on. One <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21688924/">study </a>found that people who were interrupted during a task performed worse on a subsequent task than those who were allowed to complete the first task before starting the second one.

Second, even if we manage to physically disconnect from work, the Zeigarnik Effect ensures that our unfinished tasks follow us home. They intrude on our family dinners, our vacations, our weekends, and our sleep. There will always be work left to do. We need a way to find relief from the Zeigarnik Effect so we can mentally disconnect in our hours away from work.

The good news is you don’t have to actually complete all of your tasks in order to feel mental relief from the Zeigarnik Effect. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/10/the-psychology-of-the-to-do-list-why-your-brain-loves-ordered-tasks">Research shows </a>that simply making a plan to finish your incomplete tasks can snooze your brain’s automatic reminders.

Write your tasks down . Your brain is a terrible filing system. Instead of keeping tasks in your head, make a habit of writing them down as soon as they come to you. Keep a digital task manager like <a href="https://todoist.com/">Todoist </a>on your computer and phone, so you’ll always have it handy to jot down a new to-do.

Have a system for organizing and regularly reviewing your tasks . Your system won’t work if your brain doesn’t trust that it’s accurate and up-to-date. Create rituals for planning your day and week so your brain can trust you’re working on the right things at the right time and can worry about everything else later.

Have an <a href="https://blog.doist.com/end-work-day/">end of work shutdown ritual </a> . Make a plan for tomorrow before you end the work day so your unfinished tasks don’t linger in your mind after-hours.

Find a small way to just get started . The Zeigarnik Effect can also be used to our advantage. When you find yourself putting off a particularly big or difficult task, identify a very small first step you can take. The simple act of starting can trigger your brain to want to keep going to the end.

Don’t forget to look back at how far you’ve come . Another negative side effect of the Zeigarnik Effect is that we quickly forget everything we’ve already accomplished. Don’t forget to look back at your completed tasks during a weekly review to celebrate what you’ve already

The Zeigarnik Effect: Why Unfinished Work Follows Us Home

The Zeigarnik Effect

How to snooze mental reminders

CURATED BY

Related collections

More like this