Review fatigue in the Leitner system happens when sessions get too long, decks get too large, or you add too many new cards too fast. The fix is almost always to reduce daily new cards, cap session length at 20 minutes, and clear Box 1 before resuming normal pace.
Warning Signs
Review sessions regularly exceed 25 minutes. You’re skipping days more often. You dread opening your boxes. Box 1 has more than 30 cards and is growing. These are structural problems, not motivation problems — the system is overloaded.
The Root Cause
Fatigue is almost always caused by too many cards added too fast. When Box 1 fills faster than you can drain it, reviews become overwhelming. The system stops being sustainable. See the sustainable card limits guide and the full Leitner System overview.
The Fix
Pause new cards. Cap sessions at 20 minutes — stop when the timer hits, even if you’re not done. Triage Box 1 using the Backlog Rescue Plan. Resume at half your previous card limit for two weeks before increasing again. The goal is a system you can maintain indefinitely, not one that burns bright for a week.
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