How to Manage Decision Fatigue
Daily life is filled with innumerable decisions such as what to wear, what breakfast to have, how to respond to that email, what route to take home, what show to watch - and that’s just for starters. Especially if you are managing a household or working in a high-stress role, you might find yourself making hundreds of decisions a day. Each decision drains a little bit of your cognitive stamina. This might be why, at the end of a long day, you find yourself snapping at your partner when they ask what you want for dinner or stuck in a doomscroll because you can’t decide what to watch. Decision fatigue is a real phenomenon that can contribute to burnout, stress, and relationship troubles. Read on to learn more about decision fatigue and gain some tips on how to combat it.
Decision fatigue happens because our mental resources such as self-control, cognitive stamina, working memory, and attention are not infinite. Think about how you feel after a long work day, and this statement will make intuitive sense. Each person has a rough limit of what they can handle cognitively on any given day before their performance will start to decline and stress and negative emotions will start to bubble up. When this limit has been reached, you might have difficulty concentrating, feel mentally drained, make impulsive choices, or feel physically tired. When we are forced to continue working cognitively and keep making decisions when our cognitive tank is empty, you may experience poor decision making that you later regret, emotional outbursts, burnout, and stress. This is all a completely normal human phenomenon.
While it would be wonderful to wave a magic wand and reduce the number of decisions that you have to make in a day, the reality is that we live in a world that demands near-constant mental vigilance in the workplace, home, and even online. There’s no easy solution to this problem; however, some changes in routine might help reduce your mental load:
Making major decisions in the morning when you are fresh.
Setting a morning and evening routine and sticking to it - following a ‘script’ saves brain power.
Simplifying choices such as setting aside a few work outfits to choose from in the morning, rather than selecting from your whole closet.
Automate tasks when possible, such as bill paying.
Use technology to help streamline your decision making, such as meal planning apps that help make your grocery list.
Delegate tasks that can be handled by a coworker, employee, partner, roommate, or family member to free up mental space.
Take true breaks throughout the day where you disconnect with screens and demands. Try taking a quick walk outside or meditating for a few minutes. These stimulation breaks allow the brain to rest and return to work refreshed.
Befriend a decision making framework. If you chronically struggle to make decisions, consider adopting a decision making framework like a pros/cons list or a decision tree. This can help you work through factors in a systematic way and reduce overwhelm around difficult decisions.
Decision fatigue is real and challenging, and we hope these tips help you manage your time and mental energy. If you’re feeling chronically drained, burnt out, and mentally foggy, however, it might be time to consult a trained mental health professional at AWC - we’re just a call or message away.
