It is not hard to believe that we make upwards of hundreds to thousands of decisions every single day.  These can be minor decisions of which way to drive to work in the morning, to what to wear, to what to eat, or even bigger decisions of what house to buy. 

Decision fatigue occurs when you are making too many decisions per day and it makes you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally tired because of it. Decision fatigue can affect anyone in the workplace or at home. 

Decision fatigue is different from being indecisive.  Being indecisive is a character trait.  You can differentiate between the two if you are someone who struggles with making decisions every day from small decisions to even big ones.  Decision fatigue comes on randomly and symptoms are usually acute and will go away within a day or two.  

 

Consequences Of Decision Fatigue

Decision fatigue happens because of the mental exhaustion from making too many decisions. 

It can lead to you making bad decisions.  Decision fatigue can also cause you to make impulsive decisions, from online shopping, to going through the drive through, or even calling someone you promised yourself you would never call again. 

On the opposite end it can also cause you to say no to everything. 

The feeling of being overwhelmed from the amount of decisions you have to make or because there are too many options can also come with decision fatigue. 

Decision fatigue may also cause you to procrastinate. 

Decisions can come with a lot of pressure, especially if you are making decisions that can impact other people.

 

Causes of Decision Fatigue  

Lots of things can lead up to you experiencing decision fatigue. 

The amount of decisions you have to make during the day, your overall stress levels, the weight of the decisions you are making, making decisions that impact others, being in a difficult life situation, and having perfectionist tendencies all give you a higher chance of developing decision fatigue. 

People who have anxiety, depression, or post traumatic stress disorder have a higher risk of developing decision fatigue as well. 

Hunger, exhaustion, and the time of the day can also play into decision fatigue.  

 

When To Seek Help

Decision fatigue is not a medical condition.  It is not a chronic disease.  You should not be experiencing decision fatigue daily.  If you are, you may want to reach out to your healthcare provider.  You may be confusing decision fatigue with something more serious. 

Even though decision fatigue is not a medical condition you can get physical symptoms.  Symptoms are acute.  They should resolve within a day or so and they should not be happening everyday. 

Symptoms of decision fatigue are impulsivity, the inability to think clearly, procrastination, irritability, feeling overwhelmed, dissatisfaction with any choice, fatigue, poor sleep, headaches, upset stomach, and eye twitching. 

Symptoms for most people will happen towards the end of the day, when you are more tired and have made a number of decisions already in your day. 

 

Coping & Treating Decision Fatigue

It is ok to suffer from decision fatigue every once in a while.  It can affect anyone.  If you find that you are prone to feeling decision fatigue it can be helpful to implement certain things into your daily routine to help yourself not burn out from making decisions. 

A good place to start with that is to make a list of everything that has to be done for your week.  Brain dump anything that is on your mind onto a list.  From that list you can prioritize the most important to the least important.  Then plug one or two important things to do each day.  Don’t try to do all the important things in one day, that may be overwhelming. 

Another thing to try is to make all important decisions first thing in the morning, when you are mentally fresh.  Planning your day ahead will also help you anticipate what is to come, and can help you mentally prepare yourself for what decisions will be needed from you that day. 

Postpone decisions when necessary.  If you feel yourself feeling drained, instead of making an impulsive decision you can give yourself a day, or a night to think about your decision. 

Take away some of the decisions from yourself.  This can be following a meal plan service to help decide on what you will eat, or meal planning a week in advance so that you know what you are cooking every day instead of trying to find something every single day. 

Simplify your wardrobe.  Either get rid of excess clothing, plan outfits in advance, come up with your own uniform for yourself, whatever is best for you to take away the decision of what to wear in the morning. 

When you can delegate decision making.  Allow your spouse, coworker, or children to help when appropriate.  Ask for help from a trusted person in your life when you need a second person’s opinion to help with decision making. 

Narrow down options. 

Set routines.

Prioritize yourself.  This can be time to just sit and have a mental break throughout your day.  Build in downtime for yourself.  Give yourself time for self care whatever that may mean for you.  Whether that is a luxurious bath, getting your nails done, or doing a hobby that you love. 

Make time for sleep. 

Exercise regularly can help reduce stress levels. 

Learn stress management techniques.

Implementing some of these into your life can help you stop feeling overwhelmed by your daily decisions. 

 

READ MORE:  The Effects Of Stress On Eating


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