How To Make the Zeigarnik Effect Work for You

If you’re a fan of scary movies, you’ve probably heard a character or two describe ghosts as being trapped on Earth due to unfinished business. Turns out, they aren’t the only ones who crave closure — flesh-and-blood humans do, too. There’s even a name for it: The Zeigarnik effect.

Psychologist Susan Albers, PsyD, explains what this effect is, how it works and how to use it to your advantage.

What is the Zeigarnik effect?

The Zeigarnik effect (named for psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik) is a cognitive phenomenon that explains why the tasks we haven’t finished yet tend to linger in our minds longer than the ones we’ve completed.

“Our brains are wired to hold onto unfinished business,” Dr. Albers says. “When something’s incomplete, your brain creates a thought loop, which builds tension and anxiety.”

Like your fight-or-flight response, the Zeigarnik effect is a stress response that made sense as a survival mechanism once upon a time. After all, forgetting to return to a task like hunting, foraging, fetching water or crafting a tool could be disastrous.

But now? Not so much. At least, not in the same way.

“We complete so many tasks at once now,” Dr. Albers notes. “The Zeigarnik effect can be helpful because it motivates us to complete tasks. But it can also keep you up at night, make you feel guilty and cause intrusive thoughts.”

Examples of the Zeigarnik effect

The term may be new to you, but chances are good that you feel the impact of this effect every day. Dr. Albers shares a few examples:

• Interruptions: Have you ever noticed that you keep thinking about that presentation you were preparing for, even though you’re sitting in a meeting about something completely different? That’s the Zeigarnik effect at work, keeping it active in your mind (and your attention split).
• Cliffhangers: This effect helps explain why you’re struggling to close that book or turn off that TV show, even when you’re exhausted after a long day.
• Replaying arguments: You aren’t the only person who comes up with the perfect comeback hours after the fight is over. That’s the Zeigarnik effect, keeping the conversation active in your brain because something about it doesn’t feel fully resolved.
• Ambiguous loss: “The Zeigarnik effect may be why people struggle a lot with being ghosted,” Dr. Albers explains. That lack of resolution can also make it hard to get over open-ended grief, like the kind you might feel about a missing pet or an unsolved crime.

How does it work?

The Zeigarnik effect may be linked to your brain’s anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Among other responsibilities, your ACC helps:

• Distribute your attention
• Notice conflicts or mistakes
• Prioritize task-relevant information
• Adapt to changing circumstances
• Manage emotions (including anxiety)

When you don’t complete a task or can’t resolve a situation, your ACC may help keep it active in your working memory, so you don’t forget it.

How to use the Zeigarnik effect

This effect can be harmful at times — but it can also be an ally. It can help you get more done and make it easier to spot (and resist) the forces in our lives that keep us stuck.

Dr. Albers offers the example of an online shopping cart.

“When online retailers send you reminder emails about your shopping cart, they’re using the Zeigarnik effect as a marketing strategy to pull you back in and make the sale,” Dr. Albers illustrates. “But now that you understand it, you can decide whether you really want to close that particular loop.”

You can also use the Zeigarnik effect to:

• Overcome procrastination. If you’ve got a paper to write, just write the first sentence. “Once you create that momentum, your brain will naturally pull you forward,” Dr. Albers explains.
• Relieve anxiety. Writing a to-do list before bed may help you sleep better. “Knowing those upcoming tasks won’t slip out of your awareness — that you’ve already made a plan can help your brain relax,” Dr. Albers notes. “Your brain loves a checklist.”
• Manage large projects. Break that big, scary project into small, achievable tasks. If you always know what your next step is, you’re less likely to feel overwhelmed.
• Create your own closure. Pour those intense emotions into a letter and throw it into your fireplace. Delete your ex’s number from your phone. Dr. Albers even suggests saying “This chapter is over,” out loud to yourself. These completion rituals can help you close the loop in your brain.

When to get help

While it can be beneficial at times, the Zeigarnik effect can also make you uncomfortable. It can keep your attention divided at moments when you really need to focus — and be a source of ongoing stress. Over time, that feeling of perpetual overwhelm can lead to burnout.

You may also find it more troubling than helpful if you have a mental health disorder or developmental condition that:

• Impairs your executive functioning
• Causes rumination (compulsive overthinking)

“You may feel this urge to get something done, but your brain is standing in the way,” Dr. Albers says. This push-and-pull is common for people with conditions like:

• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

If feelings of stress, overwhelm or guilt are making it hard to function in your daily life, Dr. Albers recommends trying cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

If you have a psychiatrist, consider reaching out to them, too. They may want to adjust any medications you’re taking. Don’t have a therapist or a psychiatrist? Visit your primary care provider. They’ll help you build a care team tailored to your needs.

Understanding the Zeigarnik effect may help you work with your brain instead of against it. But if a lack of closure has become a source of stress, getting support from a mental health professional can make a real difference.