5 Ways to Deal with the Dreads of Decision Fatigue

Image Source: Vantage Circle Blog

Here’s how something as simple as making a decision can prove debilitating for your brainpower.

The world is full of variety – there are several pizza toppings, ice cream flavors, fashion outfits to choose from – and while having many choices may liberate and spice up your life, an overload of choices can trigger FOBO (fear of better options), thereby causing real-time anxieties with letting go of other available options.

Having to make too many decisions can hamper your brain’s cognitive functioning i.e., in simple terms, decision-making. So, at the end of the day, if making even the simplest decisions make you feel overwhelmed, worn out, and irritable, and you find yourself making poor decisions or just procrastinating your way out of it, you might be experiencing decision fatigue.

If you think you get better at decision-making after making too many, you might be wrong because there’s a high chance it may get worse. The human brain makes around 40,000 decisions each day, and after making too many decisions, the brain just cannot handle the bulk of additional decisions.

This is decision fatigue – when your brain gets exhausted after making too many decisions, both consciously and unconsciously. Something as simple as you choose to continue reading this article counts as a decision you made unconsciously. Major life decisions can prove to be even more taxing.

Decision fatigue is as real as physical fatigue. You may not realize it, but it can lead to complete mental drainage as it decreases your willpower and energy to make decisions. The lack of attention and focus resulting out of it can cause profound stress, poor decision-making, dissatisfaction and lack of creativity and productivity, and even clinical depression at extreme levels.

Decision fatigue can result out of all decisions, no matter how big or small. Even the most trivial decisions can agonize your brain – like whether you should get out of bed or not, what should you eat for breakfast, whether you should take the metro or drive to work, etc. 

Once your head hits the pillow at night, your brain would’ve managed to buzz over 35,000 times with each decision draining your brain’s battery, little by little. Once it goes over its capacity, it would refuse to work effectively and adequately.

Image Source: The Decision Lab

Consequences of decision fatigue:

· You procrastinate when it comes to making big decisions.

· You find yourself in a dilemma over the smallest of decisions.

· You make rash, impulsive decisions just to get away with the process.

· You let others make decisions on your behalf.

· You settle with decisions you wouldn’t make with a clear mind.

· After making the decision, you obsess over what could’ve been. You feel guilty for not paying enough heed to that decision while you were making it.

Nevertheless, the good news is that we can deal with it just as we can deal with anything and everything in life! Here are 5 ways you can simplify making decisions for yourself, saving yourself from some real gut-wrenching dreads of decision fatigue:

Image Source: FirstCry Parenting

1. Establish a routine and follow it religiously

This would minimize the number of decisions you’d have to make every day. By leaving the small decisions to automatism, you will be left with more time and energy for major ones.

For example, set a time at which you’d get out of bed and go for a run every day, decide what you would eat for breakfast, and what you would wear. Make a habit out of these minor decisions, like making a coffee right after waking up. Set those minor tasks on autopilot.

This way, you wouldn’t have to think about doing or undoing things; you would just automatically get to it saving yourself a lot of energy.

Image Source: AgileLeanLife

2. Simplify/limit your options

Variety may add colors to your life, but sometimes, flashing too many colors can blind the eye. So, don’t overload yourself with choices and learn to say a firm ‘no’ to extra options.

Reduce your options and try to be more consistent with what you choose – like eat the same breakfast/lunch and order the same coffee every day. Spare yourself some stress of making such minor decisions. This would help you stick to your decisions without leaving you anxious.

3. Tackle big decisions earlier, preferably during the daytime

Evidence suggests that our brain makes better judgments in the morning. So, prioritize major decisions and make them before minor ones. Try to get done with them in the morning because as you move forward in a day, the closer you get to feeling decision fatigue. So, before your brain spends its fully charged energy, use it for more important and fruitful decisions.

Also, set a deadline and make timely decisions. Sometimes, you might find yourself procrastinating while in the process of making a difficult decision. Instead of delaying the whole process, get it done once and for all before it fuels your fatigue.

Once you make a decision, do not walk yourself through the whole second-guessing process. Instead, focus on sticking to it and making the best out of it.

Image Source: iMindQ

4. Delegate decisions

Do you find yourself taking responsibility for majorly every decision? Well, you don’t have to do it all alone. If you trust somebody to help you make decisions, allow them to help you.

Team-work is the key to reduce overloading, stress-busting, better decision-making, establishing better bonds, becoming a better leader, and preventing decision fatigue.

5. Pull back from chaos by taking breaks

Do not try to push yourself to make a decision if you’re exhausted. You make worse decisions when you’re hungry or drowsy. So, if you want to go grab a bite or take a power nap, please take it. It would refresh and in fact empower your brain to make better decisions.

Why do you think your brain gives you the best ideas when you’re simply sipping your coffee or out for a walk? Once your brain takes a break from its daily hustle-bustle, it pushes pause on the ‘logical’ side of it and lets you wander outside all the work-buzz. It lets you acknowledge life outside your little nutshell – something you wouldn’t have cared to notice amidst your daily hassles.

So, to combat decision fatigue, self-care is also important. Let your brain function correctly by eating and sleeping well, and not ignoring its calls for a break. This will help you in more ways than just beating decision fatigue.


Written By – Vidhi Nankani

Edited By - Anamika Malik