Scarcity and Cognitive Load
“We ought to walk through the rooms of our lives not looking for flaws but looking for potential.” ~Ellen Goodman
I came across an interesting study that was performed to assess the connection between cognitive burden and poverty, published in the Behavioral Scientist on Sept 2, 2023. Let’s talk about it.
Poverty, for the purposes of the study was not defined by specific income levels. Instead it is defined “broadly as the gap between one’s needs and the resources available to fulfill them.” The definition, by design, is based on the individual’s feelings or perception of “poor” for themselves.
The study was performed with 2 groups of people, New Jersey mall goers and sugar cane farmers in India. I’d like to concentrate on the farmers, because the same individuals were tested at two different times in a real life situation.
The harvest occurs once per year. The test was performed just before the harvest, and again just after. Anyone that operates in a seasonal business knows the feeling of restriction that comes just before busy season. Money is >tight< if there is any at all. It may be negative, if debt was used to meet expenses. Hence, a feeling of poverty. And after the harvest? Let the good times roll and this round’s on me because the money is flowing! Resulting in a feeling of wealth.
Can you relate? We’ve all experienced this at one time or another. Maybe it’s every week around payday, or during the college years when dinner every night was ramen or PB&J. Maybe it was an undercurrent in the culture of home life as a kid when growing up. Regardless of social status, everyone intimately knows the feeling of scarcity, and the fear and constant brain loop that it creates. It’s personal and is all consuming. You also know the opposite feeling of weight lifted off your shoulders when the feeling of scarcity is gone. It’s the lightness that comes from exhaling the breath you didn’t realize you were holding.
Business owners live in the perpetual change of state between these highs and lows. Not only is it exhausting, but as the study suggests, feelings of scarcity measurably affect the cognitive function of the brain:
The results of the study indicate that when in a state of poverty, the individual’s cognitive load is so great that it impedes function. Specifically, the individuals recorded a 13 point drop in IQ. That’s significant! It’s the equivalent to missing an entire nights sleep!
Is it limited to financial poverty? No!
The authors of the study propose that it applies to time, companionship and other human needs. In any situation when an individual feels they have less than they need, they are in a state of poverty. The effect on the brain is the same.
When you are in a time of scarcity, your brain becomes singularly focused on that circumstance, to the point that your cognitive function decreases. All your mental resources are used up thinking about what is lacking — money or time or companionship, etc. You eat-sleep-breathe lack and there is no room for anything else.
One aspect of the study that stands out to me is the definition of poverty itself as ‘a feeling…’ Do we have any agency over the perception of the gap between resources and need? I believe we do. To be clear, I am not diminishing the very real circumstance of poverty, economically or as defined by the study. Having less resources than needed is real. The effect it has on our brains is real.
I am also not implying that the perception is a ‘scarcity mindset’ a term that is so popular in coaching circles. Let’s hop onto a soapbox for a minute and talk about scarcity mindset and how I define it. Scarcity mindset can often be identified by the use of broad sweeping generalizations — everyone, no one, all, none.
Pretend that you are in the business of selling ice cubes. If you’re selling ice in Antarctica and you say “I can’t find any customers and no one is buying my ice” that’s not a scarcity mindset. That’s reality. You’re Kristoff living in Arendelle.
If you’re selling ice in Daytona during spring break and you say “I can’t find any customers and no one is buying my ice” that’s a scarcity mindset. A change in mindset and strategy will probably make a difference in sales.
That said, the question of if and how we can reduce cognitive load is a valid one.
When you are in a time of poverty as defined by the study, what could you do to reduce your cognitive load? You get micro and take the next right small step. Why?
1 - a small step is all that’s needed to set the universe in motion, and
2 - a small step is all your brain is capable of at the moment.
You can also broaden your perspective with gratitude. I know, it’s so effing cliche, but hear me out. When in a state of poverty, your mind is overloaded thinking about and trying to solve for it. It’s sucking all the energy out of other areas of the brain that are necessary to function at your normal level. One area is lighting up nonstop, leaving other areas dark. Practicing gratitude for aspects of your life where there is abundance lights up the dark areas of the brain, which may result in a lower cognitive load. When more of the brain is available and active, the total load decreases.
Another possible tool is meditation. When in a meditative state, you get out of your head and drop into your body. You literally take your mind off the current circumstance. Fun fact: the mind is designed to ask questions, but not answer them. When you try and figure out the how by answering questions, your mind becomes overloaded. Meditation helps to quiet the noise. I find guided meditations easier because they give me something to focus on. Visualizing a stream flowing past me as my thoughts float by is not a skill I’ve learned yet.
This is all great and helpful, but I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about what you don’t do when in a state of poverty. You don’t give yourself shit, try and ‘fix’ your ‘scarcity mindset’, or dream-wish-hope-pray without action. It’s time to stop shaming and judging yourself and others, no matter the circumstance. That means no more self deprecating ‘I am’ statements. When in a state of poverty, your brain is fully saturated and overloaded and you are literally incapable of doing “more.” You are doing the best you can with the resources you have. And when you recognize that your resources are diminished as evidenced by a lower IQ, you have more grace and understanding for yourself and others.
Journaling is a big part of my daily life. It’s how I know what I think. Otherwise it gets all jumbled up in my head and influences my decisions unconsciously. Living life on purpose with intention is my goal. Journaling helps me get there. Free writing is my preferred method, but sometimes I need a little push in a direction to get started. I thought maybe you may need some inspiration as well.
Enter the question of the day writing prompts:
Where in you life are you clinging to an opinion or point of view that is holding you back from seeing all sides of the issue?
How do you feel about having an opinion and sharing it with others? Do you feel like you have to defend yourself or shy away from speaking up?
How can you expand your capacity to see the bigger picture and stay open to new perspectives?
What is your relationship with your inner critic?
What inner or outer judgment can you transform today?
Question everything. And then move forward with grace and love.
Diane
My 4/6 line loves a community - if my writing sparked a thought in your head or a feeling in your body, please leave a comment or hit reply and let’s talk about it.
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