Turn abstract cognitive load into a concrete number you can measure today.
DesignEdan Yang · 2026.02–03
First DeployedBrand official landing page · 2026.04
Author Buildedanyang.github.io · 2026.05
An Interactive Tool · By Edan Yang
Cognitive Load Check
Cognitive Load Self-Check
A short self-check on how you actually work: which tools you're using today, what you're really thinking about, what's getting in your way. When you're done, you'll see a picture that's yours alone — how much of your day gets spent before the work even begins.
Step 1 / 2
Which tools are you using right now?
Select every tool you'd open on a typical workday.
AI Assistants
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiCopilotPerplexityGrok
Writing & Editing
Notion AIGrammarlyJasperCopy.aiFeishu AIDingTalk AI
Meetings & Async
Otter.aiLoomZoom AITencent Meeting AITongyi
Productivity & Workflow
Slack AILinear AIZapier AIMakeReclaimMotion
Design & Visual
Figma AIMidjourneyJimeng AICanva AIAdobe Firefly
Search & Research
ElicitConsensusMetaso SearchBrowse AISynthesia
How many deep problems requiring real thinking did you handle today — the kind that need judgment, decisions, or creation?6
151015
6 deep problems — entering sustained-overclock territory. Multiple working-memory states competing for the same resource.
Select at least 1 tool to continue
Step 2 / 2
Analyzing
Why
The Math
Recovery Time Needed Today
—
Share of Today's Workday
From Tool-Switching
— tools
—
Each cross-tool switch costs ~1–2 min to re-adapt
From Deep Problems
— problems
—
the more problems, the higher the per-problem cost
Estimated Weekly Total
—
hours spent recovering, invisible in any work log
Today's Recommendation
Figures are based on Gloria Mark's (UC Irvine) research on context-switching, and cognitive-science literature on the cost of reconstructing working memory. All numbers are estimates — reflecting patterns, not precise measurement.