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Working Memory and Cognitive Load: Why Your Brain Feels So Full.

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Working Memory and Cognitive Load: Why Your Brain Feels So Full.

Imagine you need some things from the shop. You only need 7 items, so you don’t bother to write a list. However, once you are in the shop, you struggle to remember them all, and when you get home, you realise you have forgotten 2 items.
Why does your brain drop off several items like that? Because it has reached or exceeded the limits of its capacity.
This is a common example of working memory being affected by increased cognitive demands.
 

What does Working Memory do?

Working memory is the part of memory we use to “keep things in mind” long enough to perform complex tasks on them.  This could involve analysing, comparing, sorting, sequencing, organising, calculating, and so on.
All humans have limited working memory – it’s estimated that most adults can hold around 4 items at once. This number seems to decrease with age, and in some people with ADHD, the number can be lower to start with, particularly when manipulating information.
Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch published a landmark paper on a model for Working Memory in 1974, describing 3 main components:  the central executive, which acts as a supervisory system and controls the flow of information from and to its subsystems: the phonological loop and the visuo-spatial sketchpad. The phonological loop stores verbal content, whereas the visuo-spatial sketchpad handles visuo-spatial information. Both subsystems only function as short-term storage centres.
You could think of Working Memory as a small workbench where your brain puts things and then moves them around.
 

How does Cognitive Load feature?

Cognitive Load is how much demand working memory faces at any given moment. The difficulty comes when you try to put too many things on the workbench.
Things that add to the load are, for instance:
Holding onto information while trying to operate on it at the same time.
Hidden decisions: for example, deciding what outfit to wear to work while calculating what others may think of your choices, how comfortable it will be, what the weather is going to do, and whether the boss will be in today.
Holding something in mind over a long period, like someone’s upcoming birthday, with no prompts (unless we create them for ourselves).
 

What happens when Cognitive Load is too high?

Items can get dropped out, as in the shopping list example above.
You might muddle up the order of a sequence or find it challenging to do that calculation.
And things you knew a moment ago go missing. For instance, while I was writing this article, I had the choosing-an-outfit example in mind one moment, and the next something else occurred to me, and I lost my thought.
Working memory is also shared with attention-switching costs. So if we have lots of things coming in at once and keep switching from one to another, that takes a toll on our working memory as well.
Interruptions are another example of cognitive load spiking beyond our capacity; they often disrupt working memory and push our previous thoughts out of mind.
It isn’t a character flaw or a lack of effort; it’s simply a capacity limit being put under too much demand.
 

Working Memory and ADHD

  • Working memory and attention levels are closely linked. In people with ADHD, there is a higher chance that memories will not get encoded effectively if our attention is elsewhere.
This is how we put things like keys, phones, and credit cards down and lose track of them. Instead of being aware of what we are doing with these important items, our attention is elsewhere, and we automatically put them down without it registering. No attention = no memory encoded.
 
  • Alderson et al. (2013) conducted a meta-analysis of 38 studies of adults with ADHD. They found moderate differences between adults with ADHD and controls in both phonological and visuospatial working memory. The authors concluded that working-memory difficulties persist into adulthood, although they also found that the task methodology influenced whether a difference was detectable.
  • Research consistently finds that working-memory performance is, on average, weaker in people with ADHD than in people without ADHD. However, this is a group-level finding: not everyone with ADHD has a working-memory impairment, and the degree of difficulty varies considerably among individuals.

Key points about working memory and cognitive load.

We cannot enlarge the workbench by much (although chunking can help us hold more of certain items in mind); however, we can put less on it.
Three ways we can do this are:
  • Reduce the load,
  • Offload it somewhere else,
  • Cue it using external methods, e.g. triggers and prompts.

Trying harder to remember things won’t work, whereas reducing demand will.

Reliable systems will build confidence, because you’re no longer relying on memory alone.
In Part 2, we look at the tools, hacks, and strategies you can use to build systems that you can rely on to overcome this common phenomenon/support your working memory function.
 
If you’d like help building systems to help you keep things in mind, reduce cognitive load, or find strategies to support your working memory you can set up a call with Coach Anna HERE.
Coach Anna, PCC, PCAC, has been supporting people with ADHD for the past 12 years, and would love to hear from you. You won’t need a diagnosis in order to begin coaching.

The Perfectionism/Procrastination combination!

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The Perfectionism/Procrastination combination!

 

I wrote about Procrastination earlier in the year, and it’s such a common feature of life with ADHD for many of us that there’s always more to discover and say about it. I wonder how many of you will recognise yourself in any of the examples of the perfectionism/procrastination combination below?

Procrastination can happen with perfectionism when we have set ourselves very high standards. Impossibly high standards. It’s got to be just right. It’s got to be perfectly conceived before we start. Or we’re thinking of the perfect way of doing things, or feeling as though we have to set everything up perfectly before we can start.

And the end product has got to be perfect, otherwise people will think badly of us. Or we’ll think badly of ourselves. And nowhere in there does “just good enough” come into it. I quite often see my coaching clients almost cringing when they hear the expression “good enough”, as if that is actually painful to them to think about, or consider that approach—approaching something in a way that it could be just good enough. And then what happens is not only do we put off doing the thing, but then when we do start eventually, maybe doing the thing, the perfectionism is still there.
 
Take writing an email, for example. We put off writing, and when we do start, that perfectionism nags away at us, making us dot every i and cross every t before moving on. I’ve known people who feel they absolutely have to correct the first sentence and make it just right before they can continue and write another sentence.
Editing as we go because we can’t bear a typo, a spelling mistake, or an unfinished thought in the mix is an extremely inefficient way to write, time-wise. For one thing, it will take a lot longer, and because we cannot see the whole picture before we start editing, it will almost inevitably need doing again.
With emails, I often find that people think of it as a big thing. It’s got to be the right time to start. They’ve got to be in the right mood. They’ve got to find all the things that they wanted to consider before starting to write it. They need to find the files. They need to find the information. That note they wrote on a piece of paper somewhere. Everything’s got to be set up just so, and then they can get on with the writing… Perfectionism = waiting until everything is just right before getting started = procrastination.
Another way that perfectionism can get to us when we have ADHD is by making us overly critical of ourselves. Instead of giving ourselves a pat on the back when we eventually do the thing, we think, oh, it took me so long. I, you know, I should have done it months ago or weeks ago or last week or a few days ago or whatever it is. I didn’t do it exactly how I wanted it to be done.
And we tend to be focused on that rather than the fact that, actually, yes, well done, we’ve done that, sent that email, even if it was a little bit late. Even if that card or present or whatever it was was sent late, we’ve done it. And we need to feel that we’ve done it and give ourselves due acknowledgement for that fact. Because if we don’t, if we only focus on all the negative aspects, how is that going to motivate us for next time?
 
And that’s a really important factor with perfectionism coming into procrastination – we don’t give ourselves enough praise. We don’t acknowledge ourselves enough. We’re always looking at what we haven’t done and where we’ve procrastinated. We build it up into this major crime. Oh, I didn’t do it straight away, or when I first intended to. Well, is that a crime? Sometimes we need to wait before getting into action. It helps us to think. It helps us to think things through. It helps us to gather more information. And it may not be a good moment to send something, and that’s okay.
 
We’re always going to have priorities to juggle in our lives, so could we be a bit more compassionate toward ourselves? In fact, research shows that increasing self-compassion through three short, focused sessions can help people with perfectionism. A 2021 RCT (Woodfin et al., Frontiers in Psychology) found a brief three-session self-compassion course produced significant reductions in maladaptive perfectionism, anxiety and depression versus a waitlist control.
 
So we can be more gentle with ourselves. We can acknowledge our imperfections and, rather than dwelling on them, getting stuck there, and beating ourselves up, forgive ourselves and move on. We can be kinder to ourselves when we fall short. And also, we might actually take a moment to pause and acknowledge our accomplishments, and that will help us to motivate ourselves for the next time.
 
If you are finding that procrastination is having an unwanted effect on your life, perhaps you’d like some help to dig into what’s going on for you. Does perfectionism play any part?  
 
For the past 11 years Coach Anna has been helping ADHD clients like you to get back into action and move forwards with confidence. You can contact Coach Anna here to schedule a 1-1 appointment to discuss your needs and priorities. Or you might consider joining this coaching group starting September 21st 2026 if you’d find it useful to hear from others who face the same challenges and learn what has helped them.

ADHD in Britain 2025 – Diagnosis and Treatment

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ADHD in the UK: The State of Play in 2025 – Diagnosis

In 2025, ADHD is receiving more attention in the UK than ever before, with referrals and diagnoses rising sharply over the past decade. By June 2025, there were 668,370 open referrals for a possible ADHD diagnosis across mental health and community services in England. Within that same month, more than 18,000 new referrals were made, reflecting the scale of demand. Despite this surge, experts agree that the actual prevalence of ADHD has not increased—what has changed is recognition, awareness, and access to diagnosis.

Several factors explain this rise in demand. Social media platforms like TikTok have amplified discussions of neurodivergence, encouraging people to recognise traits in themselves and seek help. Adults, especially women whose symptoms often went unrecognised in childhood, are increasingly receiving first-time diagnoses. Better training for healthcare professionals and broader assessment criteria have also helped capture cases that would have previously gone unnoticed. The validation provided by a diagnosis has been life-changing for many adults who have been struggling with feelings of inadequacy brought on by not realising their own neurodiversity.

How many people in the UK have been diagnosed with ADHD?

There are a significant number of people with ADHD in Britain. As of May 2025, it is thought that an estimated 2.5 million people have ADHD, including both those with and without a formal diagnosis. A UCL study found that between 2000 and 2018, diagnoses increased twentyfold, with the relative rise being highest among adults. Adult diagnosis reflects a cultural shift in how ADHD is understood; no longer viewed solely as a childhood condition, it is now accepted as a lifelong difference affecting people across all ages.

The challenges for services like the NHS

However, the growing recognition of ADHD brings serious challenges. NHS services are not set up to meet this new level of demand, with around 549,000 people waiting for an adult ADHD assessment in March 2025. Many wait years for a diagnosis, leading to frustration and misery by leaving people without the support or treatment they need. The situation was further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted services and exacerbated symptoms for many. The popularity of ADHD content online has brought greater acceptance and reduced stigma, but it has also led to some misunderstandings about symptoms and treatment.

Generally speaking, the rise in awareness of ADHD is positive; however, there is still much to do to get help to the people who most need it.

Some of the options available for diagnosis and treatment

The Right to Choose scheme has sought to address some of the rising demand for ADHD diagnoses by allowing people to get NHS funding to register with a private provider. However, over the past five years, this system has also struggled to keep pace with the rise in referrals, exacerbated in part by medication shortages, which have created bottlenecks in moving people onto prescriptions.

Although there are medication options available for some, other options such as talking therapies (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), programmes helpful for ADHD like those for Sleep, Rumination, or Mindfulness are only available through the NHS in certain areas, and are woefully underfunded, only reaching a minute proportion of those who would benefit every year.

There are, however, some other positives. The field of ADHD coaching has grown immensely in the past 10 or 15 years, with many more well-trained coaches offering a variety of ADHD coaching, support, and education specialisms for both children and adults. These can form a vital part of a multi–modal intervention plan, both at home and in workplaces or educational settings.

Towards the future

There is hope that AI tools will lead to faster and cheaper diagnoses, and some tests have already been trialled nationally and approved for use by the NHS, such as the QbTest, which aims to speed up diagnosis for children. There is, as yet, nothing similar for adults, although various hybrid models that use AI for clinical support appear promising.

Ultimately, the surge in demand highlights the urgent need for expanded specialist services to ensure timely, accurate, and supportive care for those with ADHD in the UK.

I’d love to know what your own experiences have been with either NHS or private services: please get in touch with me at 

Further reading: 

NICE Guidelines

NHS “Right to Choose”

Information on diagnosis pathways

Review of A Pocket Guide to Neurodiversity by Daniel Aherne

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Review of A Pocket Guide to Neurodiversity by Daniel Aherne

Overview

This book is as described in the title – a pocket guide to Neurodiversity. It is a compact and readable book on the subject.

Authors

The author of this book, Daniel Aherne, runs a company that provides training and consultancy to global businesses to help them better understand neurodivergent employees. They cover things like the recruitment process to make it as inclusive as possible and management training so managers can better support and retain neurodivergent employees. Adjustservices.co.uk/about

Tim Stringer is the illustrator, who provides touches of humour and insight in his visually appealing illustrations.

Author background

As a teenager, the author Daniel Aherne started volunteering with an autistic boy, which led him to develop a passion for helping those with autism. He then worked at NAS (National Autistic Society), assisting autistic adults to access employment and volunteering opportunities.

Daniel Aherne was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.(He states in his introduction that the idea for the book came from a talk on neurodiversity that he gave to Jessica Kingsley Publishers.)

Audience

According to one review, this book is “addressed primarily to people in managerial positions. In a broader sense, it should appeal to all staff members who would like to understand their neurodivergent colleagues and support them by adapting the work environment to their needs.” – review on www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents-publications/library/library-blog/posts/the-pocket-guide-to-neurodiversity-by-daniel-aherne-and-tim-stringer/

This book is for anyone wanting to understand neurodiversity and support neurodivergent people. It is aimed mainly at the workplace, and includes  schools and communities. The author sets out to help us celebrate neurodivergence and foster more inclusive communities.  Parents, teachers, school teaching assistants, neurotypical workplace colleagues, people running youth groups, social workers would gain a good grounding from reading this book.

Subject and Structure of the Book

This book gives an introduction to neurodiversity and the four most commonly diagnosed neurodivergent identities:  autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. 

The book’s chapters cover Neurodiversity, Neurotypes, Processing, Working Memory, Communication, Unwritten rules, Emotions and Problem-solving.

There are summarized Key Takeaways and Reflection Points.  Some chapters also have a Helpful Adaptations section. There are lots of tips and reflection points to get the reader engaging with the material.

What are my favourite parts of the book?

I liked the chapters on communication and unwritten rules. These are topics that often come up in the course of my coaching neurodiverse people with Autism, AuDHD, or ADHD.

There were some helpful pointers for people who aren’t at all familiar with what neurodivergence means. Giving examples of how it can show up in different individuals is useful, for instance. The book indicates how to expect/allow for differences. It mentions differences in eye contact, processing speed, small talk versus more meaningful topics of conversation, and unwritten social rules for example.

This book proposes that adjustments for neurodivergence can actually be helpful for everyone. This is not a new proposition, however in my opinion it bears being repeated as many times as necessary to bring about the change needed to bring this into reality. For example, being more direct to make your meaning more straightforward and less ambiguous is a minor adjustment that can make a big difference in many settings.

Sense of Humour

I’m always delighted when an author shows me they have a sense of humour. Laughing at something gives me various things: good feelings, the perception that I can relax, an insight gained into something, or a new perspective or way of looking at something.

I am also more likely to pay better attention to what comes afterwards as if my brain hopes there will be more moments of interesting stimulation/good feelings.

I found some of the illustrations amusing because they give well observed examples of true to life behaviour.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, I felt the approach taken in explaining neurodivergence was helpful, kind, and inclusive.