Real-Life Implications of Weak Cognitive Skills
It’s easy to draw a line connecting weak cognitive skills with struggles in school, but the reality is that these skills impact every area of life. Having a brain that efficiently interacts with the world around you is critical for learning. But it’s also vital for healthy relationships, job performance, self-motivation, and more! Here are some of the common real-life implications of weak cognitive skills outside the classroom:
Poor Organization and Messy Spaces
One of the most noticeable real-life implications of weak cognitive skills is poor organization and messy spaces. This can manifest in a variety of ways, such as:
- Constantly losing or misplacing important items
- Having difficulty keeping track of multiple tasks or appointments
- Feeling overwhelmed by clutter
- Messy backpacks or a lack of a system to file papers and assignments
The skills your brain uses to organize include logic & reasoning, processing speed, visual processing, attention, and memory. Having the ability to look at a group of items or tasks and systematically approach them requires efficient executive functioning that many people with weak cognitive skills lack. As a result, individuals with weak cognitive skills may struggle to be productive and efficient in their daily lives.
Needing Constant Reminders
Another common consequence of weak cognitive skills is the need for constant reminders. This can range from needing someone else to remind you of important tasks or deadlines, to forgetting common household items or routines. This can be frustrating for both the individual with weak cognitive skills and those around them and can ultimately lead to increased stress and anxiety.
Most of the time, working memory and attention are the culprits here. Strengthening these skills can be a life-changer for people of all ages!
Missing Cues in Conversations
Weak cognitive skills can also impact an individual’s ability to communicate effectively. This can manifest as difficulty understanding and following conversations, missing social cues, and difficulty expressing one’s own thoughts and ideas. As a result, individuals with weak cognitive skills may feel left out or excluded in social situations, and may have more difficulty forming and maintaining relationships.
For many people who struggle in this area, there is a lag in their processing speed that keeps them from following the conversation. Or there could be a weakness in logic & reasoning that prevents them from inferring things that should be understood in the conversation.
Always Feeling Like the Slow One in a Group
Individuals with weak cognitive skills may often feel like the slow one in a group. This can be due to difficulty processing information quickly, difficulty making decisions, and difficulty multitasking. As a result, individuals with weak cognitive skills may feel frustrated and overwhelmed in group settings and may struggle to keep up with their peers.
Building processing speed is so important for kids and adults alike to allow you to feel more confident in any situation!
Forgetting Peoples’ Names or Where You Met Them
Do you or your kids ever struggle to recall peoples’ names? Or do you see someone you know but have trouble placing them in context? These are also signs of weak cognitive skills like memory and logic that could be making your life harder.
Constant Distraction and Poor Follow-Through
Distractions in school (or work) often signal high distractibility in other areas of life. This can look like:
- Struggling to sit through a meal, concert, or event
- Trouble staying engaged in conversations or meetings
- Never finishing a task that you start (without a million breaks and coming back to it)
- Having trouble with following up on tasks you know need to happen
- Poor motivation without external incentives
Weak attention, working memory, and strategy skills can make all areas of life feel harder and more chaotic.
This Is Just The Beginning
There are endless possibilities for the way your cognitive skill weaknesses will impact your day-to-day life. But whatever your unique cognitive profile may be, there is hope!
You are not stuck with your poor memory. You are not trapped into always being distracted or disorganized. Strengthening cognitive skills can be a new beginning for kids and adults alike to make many areas of life easier!
