Why Learning Feels Overwhelming (And What to Do About It)
Steps to manage cognitive load
Ever sat down to learn something new, only to feel like your brain is melting? Yeah, me too. It’s that moment when the lesson starts simple—just a quick intro—and then suddenly you’re drowning in concepts, struggling to keep up. It’s not just you. It’s cognitive load.
What Is Cognitive Load?
Cognitive load is just a fancy way of saying “how much mental effort something takes.” Some tasks are easy on the brain, like remembering the name of a familiar song. Others, like understanding a complex concept or learning a new skill, demand way more brainpower.
Think of your brain like a computer. If you have too many tabs open—say, trying to grasp a new topic while also processing unfamiliar terminology and keeping track of key details—things start to slow down.
Why Does Learning Feel So Hard?
When you’re learning, you're constantly juggling new information, concepts, and ideas. The issue isn’t just your ability to learn—it’s the amount of new information your brain is trying to hold at once. That’s cognitive load in action.
John Sweller, the guy who came up with the term, studied how our working memory (the space in our mind where we hold and work with information) has limits. Exceed those limits, and learning slows to a crawl. The trick? Managing cognitive load so learning stays challenging but not overwhelming.
How to Reduce Cognitive Load When Learning
Here’s the good news: you can make learning easier. You just need to work with your brain, not against it.
1. Break Big Problems into Tiny Steps
Trying to understand a whole new subject at once? Don’t. Instead, start with the basics. Master those. Then move on. If you're learning a new topic, focus on foundational ideas before diving into deeper concepts. Tiny wins add up fast.
For example, let’s say you’re learning about Merge Sort, a well-known sorting algorithm. Instead of trying to grasp the entire algorithm at once, start with understanding the concept of recursion. Then, break it down further: How does the algorithm split an array? How does it merge them back together? By tackling it piece by piece, the process becomes far more manageable.
2. Use Visuals and Hands-on Learning
Reading walls of text about a complex topic? Painful. Seeing a visual representation of how it works? Much better. Even better? Actively engaging with the material through hands-on exercises. Diagrams, videos, and real-world examples help lighten the cognitive load.
For example, when learning Merge Sort, watching an animation of how the arrays split and merge back together makes it far easier to grasp than just reading an explanation. If possible, try writing out the steps on paper to reinforce the idea.
3. Limit Distractions (Seriously)
If you're trying to learn a tough concept while notifications keep popping up, you’re making things harder than they need to be. Turn on ‘Do Not Disturb,’ close unnecessary tabs, and focus.
4. Take Notes, But Make Them Work for You
Summarize concepts in your own words. Draw connections between what you’re learning and what you already know. Instead of just copying information, explain it to yourself like you would to a friend.
For example, if you’re learning Merge Sort, don’t just copy the pseudocode. Try explaining it in simple terms: “First, the list is split into halves until each half has only one item. Then, those halves are merged back together in order.” The simpler, the better.
5. Apply What You Learn ASAP
The best way to reinforce new knowledge is to use it. Discuss it, practice it, test yourself on it. When you put your learning into practice, your brain strengthens those neural connections, making the concepts easier to recall later.
If you just learned Merge Sort, try implementing it from scratch without looking at an example. This forces your brain to actively retrieve the information, making it stick.
The Bottom Line
Learning is hard, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By managing cognitive load—breaking down problems, using visuals, limiting distractions, taking smart notes, and applying what you learn—you make it easier for your brain to absorb and retain new concepts.
So next time you feel stuck, don’t panic. Your brain isn’t broken. It’s just overloaded. Give it a break, simplify the problem, and tackle it one small step at a time. You got this!
Until next time,
Adlet
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