Ever feel like your brain is just… full? Emails ping, notifications pile up, meetings blur together, and suddenly you miss something small but important. It's not a lack of care; it's cognitive overload.

In this solo episode, Dr. Eric Bean unpacks what happens when our mental "jar" overflows. Listen as he explores how cognitive overload quietly erodes performance, decision-making, and even empathy. Through neuroscience, psychology, and practical tools, Dr. Bean reveals simple ways to reclaim focus, reduce mental fatigue, and perform at your best without burning out.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding cognitive load: How constant task-switching, multitasking, and stress reduce your brain's capacity for clear thinking.

• The science of overload

• Inner game strategies: The Parking Lot, Mind the Margins, and Mindful Monotasking

• What high-pressure environments reveal about decision fatigue

• The real cost of mental overload

Highlights:

[00:23] What is cognitive load?

[01:02] Understanding context in performance environments

[03:10] How overload contributes to diagnostic mistakes

[06:18] What happens when working memory is maxed out

[06:55] The myth of multitasking

[08:15] How overload impacts decision-making and creativity

[10:16] Inner vs. outer game of performance

[11:12] The Parking Lot technique

[12:24] Protecting margins and mental space

[13:36] Reducing context switching and attention residue

[14:48] Pause and eliminate interruptions

[16:10] Building transition routines between meetings

[16:47] Integrating micro resets into daily habits

Resources:

• Deep Work by Cal Newport – on focus, flow, and eliminating distraction

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman – understanding system 1 and system 2 thinking

Connect with Us:

Subscribe on [Apple Podcasts] | [Spotify]

Follow Dr. Eric Bean on [LinkedIn] and [Website]

Share your reflections or insights with #CoachingThroughStories.