A fast-paced society with endless options in almost everything we do means that sometimes it feels like we are making endless decisions. At first this might seem like a good thing, but too many choices can quickly become overwhelming.
In your professional life you might feel like you are having to make too many important choices, or that there are too many possible scenarios, and you can begin to feel overburdened.
You might also feel exhausted from having to make too many decisions in your personal life. Nowadays every movie or TV show is just one click away, every dinner can be delivered right to your doorstep, and there are always multiple options for every service or product you consider.
For some people it can begin to feel like even the small day-to-day decisions are overwhelming — this is called ‘decision fatigue’. What is it and what is the best ways to cope with it? Read on to find out.
What exactly is decision fatigue?
Decision fatigue is the name given to the condition in which a person might start to feel exhausted or overwhelmed by having to make continued decisions.
The size or significance of the decisions the person has to make does not matter. A person suffering from decision fatigue can become overwhelmed by big conundrums or small everyday choices — such as what to eat for dinner.
Decision fatigue has received more attention in recent years, becoming a growing topic of interest among healthcare workers and students undertaking degrees such as an online Masters in Mental Health Counseling.
How to recognise decision fatigue
You can usually recognize decision fatigue by the feelings of tiredness or becoming overwhelmed at having to make too many consecutive decisions.
The most common symptoms of decision fatigue are tiredness (mental or sometimes physical), brain fog, feelings of being overwhelmed, stress, irritability, and even impulsivity. While decision fatigue is not a chronic condition, it can be incredibly difficult.
The consequences of decision fatigue
Suffering from decision fatigue can lead to other negative effects even beyond the immediate symptoms.
Continued decision fatigue can lead a person to make haphazard or ill-informed decisions, as they become too tired or less motivated to weigh the consequences of their choices.
This can extend to things like impulse buying. When faced with having to decide between different products, appliances, or services, an individual might feel less compelled to give their purchase proper consideration. They might start spending money more carelessly.
Decision fatigue can also make a person more likely to procrastinate tasks or avoid making any decisions at all.
How to combat decision fatigue
There are some practical ways you can work to combat decision fatigue in your day-to-day life:
Start delegating decisions
Delegating might not always be an option, depending on your circumstances. But when you can, it can be helpful to let someone else make some decisions for you.
If the decisions that are causing you to feel fatigued are coming from your work life, maybe you can ask one of your coworkers for help, or have some of your tasks reassigned.
If you are facing decisions in your personal life, consider asking your partner, a friend, or a family member for help.
Stop second guessing yourself
Decision fatigue can occur when we overthink our options, or create too many potential scenarios in our head. It can feel like we have to consider every possible consequence of our actions, sometimes even after the decision was already made — but second guessing yourself just makes you feel like you’re making more decisions than you are.
Minimize the amount of decisions you have to make throughout the day
This might sound suspiciously like decision avoidance, as mentioned above, but it is much more strategic.
You can steer clear of situations that will force you to make more decisions than what is necessary. Try tactics like planning all your meals for the week on a Sunday, so that you lessen your decision making load on a weeknight when you’re likely tired from decision-making all day.
Make your big decisions earlier in the day
It can sometimes help people to make their biggest and most important decisions first thing each day, and then gradually work down to less significant decisions.
Think of this as getting the hard work out of the way first while your mental stamina is likely at its highest.
If you are able to do this, then at the end of the day if you find yourself mentally or emotionally fatigued, all that should be left will be the small or less consequential choices.
Self care
Self care and valuing your mental health is always important.
Do whatever you need to make sure you stay mentally healthy. Be sure to take regular breaks, to get enough sleep, proper exercise, etc.
Decisions are an inevitable part of life. We can make tens of thousands of decisions throughout our day, both small and significant.
Sometimes the amount of decisions we have to make ends up feeling overwhelming. There are some tactics you can employ to try to combat this, but if you are ever feeling too overwhelmed by your responsibilities, or any part of your life, it’s important to seek professional support.