The World Health Organization defines burnout as “a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” And if you’ve ever heard me speak or facilitate a training, I share openly that I have a big problem with this definition. Here’s why.

We don’t live and work in silos. What happens at work affects our lives, and what happens in our lives inevitably affects our work.

Have you ever had one of those mornings where everything is going well? You’re focused, making progress, and the workload feels completely manageable. Then your phone buzzes. The school emails to say your child is struggling again. Your mom had another fall. A loved one receives difficult health news.

When your Brain’s Bandwidth Changes

Your to-do list hasn’t grown by a single task. Your calendar looks the same. Yet suddenly, the work that felt completely manageable ten minutes ago feels overwhelming.

The workload didn’t change, but your cognitive load did. Your brain is now processing concern, uncertainty, problem-solving, and emotion while still trying to accomplish everything it was doing just moments before.

The mental capacity available to do it became much smaller.

For years, this was my reality. Raising a child with behavioral challenges related to his disability meant many of my workdays felt unpredictable. I can’t count the number of times an unexpected phone call from school completely shifted the trajectory of my day. My productivity suffered, not because I suddenly had something to do, but because I was carrying something much heavier than anyone around me could see.

The truth is, none of us know what this afternoon will bring. We can organize our calendars, block focus time, and plan our priorities, but we can’t control life’s interruptions. What we can control is how we respond when they happen.

When unexpected news suddenly increases your mental load, here are a few strategies that can help.

Switch to maintenance mode

This may not be the afternoon for deep thinking, creative problem-solving, or strategic planning. Instead, focus on routine tasks that keep work moving forward but require less mental energy. You’re still making progress, but you’re matching your work to the capacity you have today.

Reduce unnecessary decisions

When your cognitive load increases, don’t ask your overwhelmed brain to make more decisions. Trust the task list you already created and choose what feels doable. Delay non-urgent decisions until tomorrow and simplify where you can at home. Sometimes a boring dinner and an early bedtime are exactly what your brain needs.

Protect your attention

When your cognitive load increases, the attention you have becomes even more valuable. Silence notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and, if you can, create a short buffer before your next meeting. Even five minutes to take a walk, grab a glass of water, or simply breathe can help your brain process what happened before asking it to fully engage again.

Organizations can certainly reduce unnecessary stress and create healthier ways of working. But even in the healthiest workplaces, life still happens. Employees don’t leave caregiving responsibilities, health concerns, financial pressures, or family challenges at the door. We bring our whole selves to work, whether we intend to or not.

That’s why I think it’s just as important to recognize when our cognitive load has suddenly changed. We may not be able to control what life brings us today, but we can adjust how we work in response.