Boosting productivity using Zeigarnik Effect
2 min readNov 25, 2020
I came across this term while I was listening to blinks (Mental Health and Wellbeing in the workplace) on BlinkList.com.
The link to the original book (here).
Most of us often find ourselves thinking about a task that we had left incomplete. This condition is known as ‘Zeigarnik effect.’ The Zeigarnik effect is a psychological phenomenon describing a tendency to remember interrupted or unfinished tasks or events more quickly than tasks that have been completed and were first noticed by Russian psychiatrist and psychologist Bluma Wulfovna Zeigarnik in the 1920s.
Examples of Zeigarnik Effect:
- Wondering what would happen next in your favourite TV show or film series.
- Thinking about incomplete homework at school or unfinished tasks at work.
- Thinking about an unfinished project and not able to focus on other things.
Boosting productivity using Zeigarnik Effect:
To increase your productivity, prioritize your tasks first.
- Leave procrastination behind: Make a daily schedule for your tasks. Try to stick to the plan. Use time blocking method to help you commit to your work.
- Make a to-do-list: Before you start your day, make a to-do-list and make sure you add all the tasks on a priority basis in the list you plan to do on that day.
- Break down consumed content into smaller parts: Using this method, will help you digest vast chunks of information.
- Take short breaks: Taking breaks would help you boost your productivity and improve memory. The Zeigarnik effect can also be useful for students who are studying for an exam. The effect tells us that breaking up study sessions can improve recall.
