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The mental cost of reminders: Is offloading memory worth the interruptions?
Reminders and mental space
Reminders give us mental space for more important work. They make sense because we can't remember everything.
They keep our most important priorities top of mind. And studies show how reminders can help us save more money, keep up with medical treatments, and be more charitable.
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Using reminders
For example, you're working and you suddenly hear a notification pop, reminding you of a meeting in 30 minutes. Your brain will go in the meeting mode and you won't be able to go back to the task you were doing.
Reminders and mental space
Reminders give us mental space for more important work. They make sense because we can't remember everything.
They keep our most important priorities top of mind. And studies show how reminders can help us save more money, keep up with medical treatments, and be more charitable.
Reminders: the bad side
- We’re bombarded by reminders and notifications every day and this can mess up our focus.
- Reminders cause context switching and distraction. They take our focus away from what we're doing.
- Good reminders lose their influence quickly. The sheer number of them means we’re more likely to miss the ones we do want to pay attention to.
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Scheduling your day
A good daily schedule is a blueprint for a successful life.
Knowing what we’re doing and when empowers us with a sense of purpose, meaning, and focus.
Scheduling styles
- The Overscheduler: Their days are determined from the moment they wake up to their evening routine.
- The Minimalist: They’ve got one or two recurring events, but a whole lot of white space so they’re “free” (at least on paper) for long stretches of work.
Your most important work
The most successful people consistently get their most important work done first.
Build recurring time for your most important work in the morning, before you start anything else. Your energy levels are naturally higher in the morning, but completing a meaningful task first thing has also a domino effect that pushes you through the day.
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Don’t Rely On Your Memory
If you want to remember things, don't rely on your memory. Put it in writing or in a digital notebook.
Make Back-Ups Of Everything
- Make sure to back up your computer files.
- Make duplicates for your car and home keys.
- Scan your IDs, passports and bank details, and put it all in a secured folder on your computer.
Keep all your financial records, birth certificates, land titles and insurance in one folder, preferably in a safe.
Have a designated place for everything
- Sort out your clothes, cleaning materials and everything else and keep them in labeled containers or closets at home.
- Organize your work space well so that your every move is conserved, knowing exactly where everything is.
Doing this will take time, but it is easier to find what you need.
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Memory cues
They are objects or events that help trigger an action or a memory of that action.
They can be either intentional (a reminder on our phone) or unintentional
Different types of memory cues
- Internal memory cues are patterns of thinking that help trigger a specific memory. For example, mental imagery, which involves visualizing a certain scene happening, can serve as an internal reminder of an event that happened.
- External memory cues are objects or events that trigger a memory that they are associated with. For example, a glass of water next to your bed is an external reminder to drink water when you wake up.
Example of exernal cues
- To remember to floss your teeth, put the box with the floss on top of your tube of toothpaste.
- To remember to take a pill each morning, put the pills next to whatever you usually eat for breakfast.
- To start the day by writing, put a piece of paper with a reminder on top of your keyboard.
- You can use your watch as a reminder to take things easy, so that every time you look at it you remember to relax a little.
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