AI Brain Fry: Why Agent Work Drains Us and a Pomodoro Fix

Why Working With AI Agents Leaves You Drained

This first-person piece argues that heavy use of AI agents produces a distinct kind of mental fatigue, which BCG has named AI brain fry. The author pulls 70 days of Claude Code session logs to show the pattern: frequent task switching, agents idling while waiting for review, and prompts getting shorter as the day goes on. The explanation draws on older research about working memory, attention residue, and monitoring work, rather than treating the problem as a new mystery.

For brand builders, designers and strategists who now ship prototypes and sites with agents, this is a practical read on how their own workdays are changing. The author also describes a Pomodoro-style structure, one problem per session, parked notes at six o'clock and real breaks, which is worth weighing against your own team's habits. Anyone managing creative or production staff who uses these tools should read it for the workload questions it raises.