What exactly is decision fatigue?
Struggling with ‘brain fog’, tiredness, indecision, or anxiety?
The real culprit could be decision fatigue; a real (and rather debilitating) phenomenon that prevents us from making good decisions when we’re tired or overwhelmed. Typically such mental fatigue occurs when we are required to make too many decisions too quickly, decreasing our ability to make sound choices and often leading to procrastination, impulsivity and poor judgement.
Although having choices is good, decision fatigue often occurs as a negative consequence of simply having too many options, leading to increased stress levels and decreased cognitive resources.
Cognitive resources are our ability to think, reason, and resolve issues. The sheer mental effort of making many decisions in a short space of time diminishes these resources. If we’re overwhelmed by too many choices, our natural ability to make good decisions can dwindle significantly.
Let’s consider these examples:
It is good to have choices, and it is a privilege to be able to make decisions. But, you risk becoming decision-fatigued when you have many choices and/or need to make a decision under pressure, or when you are mentally tired.
We can all relate to this in the context of shopping. You’ve been in the store for a while and are presented with so many options that you don’t know which one to choose. You become overwhelmed and find it harder to select the correct or appropriate item. You might become impulsive, buy something you don’t need, or give up entirely and leave the store without purchasing anything.
Or, in a leadership role, you are called on daily to make many decisions – some that have business implications (financial or operational), and others that relate to the team, or individuals.
So, can we avoid decision fatigue?
To some extent, we can prevent it. The key is to manage your decision-making and minimise the number of choices you face. For example:
Famous individuals such as Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama claim to have worn the same or similar types of outfits each day to limit the number of decisions they needed to make. You, too, could consider wearing a ‘uniform’ for work.
To make shopping easier, you can create a standard online grocery shopping list.
Avoid the “What’s for dinner?” challenge by implementing a weekday meal plan. You can even make entertaining less stressful by serving your ‘signature dish’ when you entertain friends and family – a meal you feel confident making because you know it is always enjoyed.
When you need to make values-based decisions, it is helpful to have clear boundaries to minimise moral dilemmas that might arise – e.g., decide how you respond to requests for donations or loans upfront.
In preparation for requests for work or social engagements, you can determine how you spend your time upfront. So, when that invitation comes for something that doesn’t quite fit your plan, you can feel at ease to decline – freeing yourself from people-pleasing obligations.
Here are some tips to resolve issues effectively:
- Prioritise your decisions
Limit the decisions you make by cautiously looking at the merit of each one – slowly and carefully. Make sure you tackle the decision-making process by first addressing the highest priority issues and then solving the rest. For non-urgent decisions, it is okay to ask people to wait – “Not now. Give me [some time] to get back to you on this.”
Take regular breaks during the day to rest your mind from constant decision-making. You will then be able to revisit a problem with fresh eyes and a restored outlook.
More complex decisions deserve focused attention. Set aside time to make informed decisions – gather information, consult with others, and consider the ‘up and down sides’ (benefits and consequences). You will feel more confident to activate decisions when you can justify the reasoning – finding it easier to make resolutions, stick to them, and avoid mental fatigue.
Often, one decision leads to another. If a decision requires implementation, you will need an activation plan.
Set reasonable deadlines for making decisions and schedule these for when you are most mentally alert. Doing this will help you stay on track and avoid procrastination.
Remember, feeling depleted after a marathon of mental activity and decision-making is normal. At this stage, the best decision you can make is to practise self-care and choose to prioritise your mental and physical wellbeing.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, seek advice from a trusted, reliable source that can help you to make the right choices and determine the best course of action.
If you are struggling to make important decisions that relate to you or your family, you can seek guidance from a LifeAssist counsellor at no cost to you, your life partner, or any other household dependent.
