Why does interleaving feel exhausting and hard at the start in psychology?

[Oliver_S]

I’ve been trying to use interleaving to study different concepts in my psychology course, mixing up topics instead of blocking them. But I’m finding it incredibly frustrating and mentally draining, like my brain can’t gain any traction on a single idea before I have to switch. Has anyone else felt this way when first trying this method? I expected it to feel challenging, but this feels counterproductive.

[Larry_G]

Yeah I felt that way when I first tried interleaving. It was like my brain kept sliding off every time I switched topics and nothing stuck.

[Daniel.M]

I kept a tiny log. It showed minutes per topic. Then a quick recall note after each switch. After a few days I felt a small gain in recall even when I switched topics.

[Aria36]

Could the issue be that I am not letting a concept breathe before switching and I am mistaking that friction for failure?

[BrianR]

I drifted off topic for a moment and thought about errands I had to run then came back to study. It did not fix the feeling but it reminded me that the method is only part of the battle. The body and mood matter too.