Lived Experiences of Mental Workload in Everyday Life

Abstract

We can now buy consumer brain-computer interface devices to help us meditate and focus, but what are we aiming to achieve? Mental workload (MWL) is an established concept, and as a form of personal data could be useful for making positive life changes. However, MWL is typically only studied for isolated tasks to avoid overload and underload. We investigated lived experiences of MWL, aiming to understand how tracking such data could implicate our everyday lives. 19 participants, that had previously experienced tracking their mental workload, took part in interviews and an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis identified four superordinate themes. Results point towards mixed and changing perceptions of MWL and the importance of fluctuating between MWL levels in daily life in terms of performances, perceptions, and wellbeing. These findings are captured in an apparent Cycle, which outside factors can disrupt, and we discuss these cycles in terms of personal informatics and work performance.