MadlySane NeuroNexus Course: Lesson 3: Working Memory Strategies.
Welcome back, Navigator! In Lesson 2, you learned to tune your attention system. Now we’re stepping into your brain’s **mental workspace**—your working memory.
Working memory lets you hold and manipulate short bits of information: following directions, solving problems, and keeping track of a conversation. It’s not just memory—it’s *mental juggling*, and it’s the backbone of your executive functioning.
- What working memory does—and what it doesn’t.
- Real-life challenges: overload, forgetting mid-task, mental fatigue.
- Self-check: Assess your capacity and processing speed.
- Scaffolding strategies: chunking, visual anchors, external tools.
How Working Memory Works
Your working memory is like a brain chalkboard—it holds 5–9 bits of information at once, but it fades quickly. You rely on it every time you:
- Follow multi-step instructions without re-checking
- Do mental calculations (e.g. split a bill, estimate change)
- Hold your place while thinking through a plan or story
- Mentally rehearse a response during a conversation
If this chalkboard gets overloaded, we see breakdowns: skipped steps, blank outs, unfinished tasks. Sound familiar? That’s where scaffolding comes in—but first, let’s assess how your working memory is doing.
Working Memory Self-Assessment
Lesson Complete!
You’ve assessed your working memory and explored scaffolding strategies. Remember, your brain’s workspace is flexible—just like a desk, it functions best when organized and supported.
Up Next: Lesson 4 — Executive Function & Task Management
In Lesson 4, we’ll dive into task initiation, planning, inhibition, and flexible thinking. Ready to upgrade your executive system?
Proceed to Lesson 4 →