The ‘Zeigarnik effect’ explains why we can’t stop thinking about the things we haven’t done, but how can we stop the spiral?
While being busy shouldn’t be a badge of honour, there’s no denying the thrill that comes with checking lots of things off an ever-growing to-do list. But often, even when we’ve completed 99% of the tasks we set out to do, we still can’t seem to enjoy our successes, because of that pesky 1%.
I felt this recently, when I stopped off at the supermarket to pick up some groceries after a stressful day. It wasn’t until I got home that I realised I’d forgotten to purchase the face cream that my partner had asked me to buy. Even as I unpacked a bag full of ingredients and household items that we desperately needed, I couldn’t help but feel like a failure for missing that one particular thing on the list, and was preoccupied with the need to buy it the following day.
It turns out that this urge to focus on the things we didn’t do – the unfinished tasks – is pretty common, and it has a name: the Zeigarnik effect.
What is the Zeigarnik effect?
The concept was first studied in 1927 by Soviet psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik, who observed that interrupting people midway through a task made them more likely to remember it, when compared to tasks that were allowed to be completed without disruption.
According to counsellor Bea Appleby, this tendency is a normal part of being human. “In Gestalt theory, of which Zeigarnik was a student, a central belief is that humans seek wholeness, or closure, and when an experience is incomplete, it creates psychological strain,” she says.
This mental tension can feel uncomfortable. One 2014 study, published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, found that leaving tasks unfinished was a weekend stressor for employees, causing rumination and impaired sleep. It seems that the brain purposefully keeps these tasks lingering in our minds as a reminder to ‘close the loop’ – and get that sense of wholeness we naturally crave.
“When a task is incomplete and it plays on our minds, we need to resolve it to restore psychological balance,” says Bea. “Each open loop creates tension, and many incomplete loops together can make us feel stressed.”
So, when that creeping feeling of ‘unfinished business’ plagues your thoughts, how can you shake it off?
Tying up loose ends
You might be tempted to stay late at work to finish every task on your list, or to cancel plans with friends to tackle the half-done DIY project at home, but there will always be times when you simply have no other option than to leave tasks incomplete.
To combat this, try writing a ‘loose ends’ list – on your phone or in the back of your diary – where you can safely store unfinished tasks. Because part of the tension involved in unfinished tasks is our brain trying to make sure we don’t forget about them, writing a list can ease that pressure and clear out mental clutter. Interestingly, a small study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that writing to-do lists before bed can even help you fall asleep faster, when compared to writing a list of things you achieved that day.
The one that got away
If you’ve got an unfinished task that you know you’ll never get back to, because you chose to step away, or didn’t have the capacity or time to reach the finish line, the work then becomes about focusing on the context around the task.
Instead of trying to ignore it, or act like it’s not bothering you, Bea suggests investigating the unfinished task a little further, in order to make peace with the difficult feelings attached to it. “When thinking about a task that’s unfinished, learn to reframe thoughts like ‘I gave up’ into ‘I made a choice to stop, based on my capacity at the time,’” she says.
Take a few minutes to write a list of the reasons why it wasn’t completed, remembering to acknowledge the contributing factors outside of your control, such as the resources available to you, skillset, interruptions, time, and energy levels – even the unexpected things that arose. Acknowledging the circumstances around the unfinished task can help to satisfy that need for closure, even if the outcome wasn’t what you hoped.
When those feelings of disappointment, failure, guilt, or shame, simply refuse to budge, Bea recommends using the RAIN technique, which was invented by meditation teacher Tara Brach:
Recognise: First, acknowledge what you’re feeling, for example ‘I’m feeling like a failure for not finishing this task.’
Allow: Let the feelings exist, giving yourself permission to feel, while repeating a statement such as ‘This is normal, anyone in my situation would feel like this.’
Investigate: Get curious about the feeling. For example, ‘What am I believing about myself right now?’, or ‘Is this really about something else?’
Nurture: Finally, place a hand on your chest and offer yourself compassionate words, as though you were talking to a friend.
Embracing interruptions
The good news is that knowing how the Zeigarnik effect works can actually be harnessed to your advantage. By understanding that your brain is wired to keep unfinished tasks top of mind, you can use that mental nudge as a motivational tool, rather than a source of stress.
One way to do this is by setting SMART goals – that is, goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. When tasks are clearly defined, and broken into manageable steps, they’re less likely to linger in that uncomfortable ‘open loop’ state. So, instead of vaguely telling yourself to ‘get more exercise’ or ‘sort out the house’, a SMART goal might be ‘go to one fitness class this week’ or ‘clear out the hall cupboard by Friday’. These give your brain a clear endpoint, which helps satisfy the craving for closure.
You could also look to use the Zeigarnik effect to your benefit by intentionally stopping a task part-way through. This gentle tension can boost the likelihood of picking the task back up again, because you’re keen to finish, and check it off your list.
Looking for closure
And for that unfinished business that transcends to-do lists – such as regrets around relationships, or things you wish you could have said, or done – sometimes there’s no replacement for opening up about the grief that accompanies the lack of closure.
As Bea says, talking therapy can help you make sense of what you’re experiencing, work through what it represents for you, and reflect on “what values or dreams are tied to these incomplete experiences”.
So, the next time you find yourself dwelling on that forgotten face cream or unfinished project, take a breath. Acknowledge the feeling, yes – but remember that you’re not defined by what you leave incomplete, but instead, by how you show up and keep going.
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