5 Signs of Slow Processing Speed in Adults
Do you ever question your ability to keep up with work, family, friendships, or other spheres of life? The reality is that our world is fast-paced and overwhelming in many ways, but having slow processing speed is one of the things that can make life harder than it needs to be, both for kids and adults.
Read more: Slow Processing Speed in Students >>
Why Is Processing Speed Important?
Just like all cognitive skills, processing speed is one of the things your brain uses to understand and interact with the world around you. The need for fast processing doesn’t go away once school is over—in fact, in some ways it becomes even more important to have this skill in “real life.”
As adults we have a lot to juggle on a daily basis, and processing speed is the gateway for all the stimuli we encounter. Whether it’s visual or auditory input, everything goes through processing speed! Research has also shown that processing speed is one of the first skills to decline with aging. So whether you’re a young adult beginning your career wondering what else you can do to sharpen your skills, or you’re older and starting to feel like you’re losing your edge, here are a few of the hallmark signs of slow processing speed in adults:
#1: Struggling to follow conversations
If you’re constantly asking people to repeat themselves or struggling to take part in conversations with multiple people, that’s a major sign that your processing speed may be slow.
#2: Missing deadlines or falling behind on tasks
Do you have tasks stacking up and struggle to stay on top of things? This is also a sign of slow processing speed. Whether it’s a difficulty getting started, trouble problem-solving your way to a solution, or taking longer to complete tasks, this can be a very frustrating feeling to never quite be able to catch up.
#3: Feeling overwhelmed easily
One hallmark sign of low processing speed is also feeling overwhelmed. Many individuals with slow processing speed deal with anxiety, chronic stress, and burnout at levels that individuals with fast processing may not. This happens because the brain is working so hard just to keep up that it struggles to actually complete tasks, problem-solve, and see the big picture.
#4: Inability to multitask
If you’re cooking dinner, your kids start talking to you, your phone dings with a message, and your dog is barking to go out, what happens? Do you freeze? Lash out? Handle everything with ease? If it’s the former, you likely have slower processing speed because your brain is struggling to process all the information coming your way effectively. This goes hand-in-hand with working memory (your brain’s “bucket” that holds information while you’re using it). If you’re constantly leaving things half finished or feeling flustered or overwhelmed by situations like this, increasing processing speed is an important step to help you juggle everything life throws your way!
#5: Slow response times
This is a super practical reason why we need fast processing. We need to be able to respond appropriately in conversations, while driving, at work, with our kids, and in many other situations in our daily lives. When processing speed is slow, reaction times may be slower in all of these areas.
What Do You Do If You Have Slow Processing Speed?
Building processing speed is like working out a muscle group: it takes intense, targeted practice to get your brain used to functioning at higher speeds without sacrificing quality or accuracy. So what can you do?
- Play fast-paced games. Card games and speed games are great tools to get your brain used to firing a little faster. They may not feel fun at first if this is an area of struggle, but stick with it!
- Set goals and use timers. In everyday areas of life, see if you can beat your own time on certain tasks. It’ll force you to think differently about how you can get tasks done more efficiently and wire your brain to think more quickly.
- Train it. Ultimately, no amount of passive effort or game playing will really make a major difference in how your brain is wired. Processing is a skill that targeted intervention can strengthen, but it takes a very specific approach that includes many facets that are nearly impossible to replicate on your own.
