As we’ve covered in prior posts, information overload when coupled with stress, can create a state of cognitive dysfunction called brain overload.  In this state, the brain’s ability to properly understand and react to its environment comes screeching to a halt.  We lose our ability to effectively harness all of our acquired knowledge and skill, and instead perform at levels far below expectation.

The part of our brain coping with the onslaught is called working memory, and is located in the front part of our brain: in an area of the brain called the pre-frontal cortex and located right behind our forehead.

In this article published in the McKinsey Quarter, we’re introduced to the addictive properties of multitasking ( the “dopamine squirt”), cover some excellent data on the drawbacks of info-deluged multi-tasking (30 percent decrease in speed, 100% increase in errors), are provided with some great recommendations on how professionals can deal with the challenge of information overload (“focus/filter/forget”), and the role of corporate leadership in resetting the norms of the workplace to improve their cognitive performance.

This article is a really great read.
Click here Enjoy the article!

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