Is Decision Fatigue Real? When Simple Decisions Overwhelm You (+Tips)
Vanilla, pistachio, or blueberry?
If you feel overwhelmed by even simple decisions like choosing an ice cream flavor, you're not alone. The constant need to make decisions, from minor daily tasks to significant life choices, can leave you feeling drained. Constant decision-making, from daily choices like what to wear or eat, to major decisions like buying a house or changing jobs, can be exhausting.
This state, known as decision fatigue, can impact both your physical and mental well-being.
Recognizing decision fatigue is essential because it helps you understand how the accumulation of choices affects your energy levels and overall health.
Addressing decision fatigue can improve your mental health and make everyday decisions easier. Whether you struggle with making decisions or want to improve your decision-making process, these insights will help you navigate daily life with more ease and confidence.
What Is Decision Fatigue?
The term decision fatigue was coined and described by social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister, who often likened this feeling to a glass of water that was initially full but lost some of its liquid with each decision. From a scientific perspective, it describes how your cognitive resources are depleted with each choice you make, leading to poorer decisions over time.
According to a recent study, you can make up to 35,000 decisions a day. Despite many of these being made unconsciously, your brain registers everything and can experience significant cumulative fatigue. Simple decisions like what to wear or what to eat, along with more complex decisions such as work-related choices, all contribute to this exhaustion.
Decision fatigue describes the impaired ability to make daily decisions and control behavior as a consequence of repeated acts of decision-making.
Over time, this mental exhaustion can lead to decision avoidance, procrastination, and even impulsive choices. For example, a person might opt for an unhealthy meal simply because the mental energy required to choose a healthier option is lacking. This can have a significant impact on overall well-being and productivity.
Factors such as stress, lack of sleep, and poor nutrition can also exacerbate decision fatigue. When you already operate under less-than-optimal conditions, your ability to make sound decisions declines even further. Therefore, managing these underlying factors is crucial in mitigating the effects of decision fatigue and maintaining cognitive sharpness throughout the day.
What Are the Symptoms of Decision Fatigue?
Here are seven common signs of decision fatigue for your reference.
Remember: decision fatigue is an acute (short-term) experience. If you experience these symptoms every day, something more chronic might be happening. Check with your doctor if you’re concerned.
Chronic procrastination: Forgetting the vet appointment means you don't have to decide on that expensive surgery, right? Putting off decisions (or avoiding certain people or situations altogether) is a common response to decision fatigue.
Impulsiveness: After making complex decisions all day, you might be less careful with other choices, like stopping at your usual drive-thru, overspending online, or overlooking obvious cognitive biases.
Exhaustion: Decision fatigue can be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. Even worse, it can cause burnout, which has serious health consequences.
Brain fog: Suddenly struggling to finish sentences? Have you forgotten names or got distracted during conversations lately? Decision fatigue could be causing mental confusion.
Irritability: Did you just lose patience with your best friend for asking where you want to go for lunch tomorrow? Yes, decision fatigue might be at play!
Overwhelm: Feeling like there's no room left in your head, let alone your schedule, for everything you're doing? Feeling overwhelmed is a problem in itself and can also indicate decision fatigue.
Physical discomfort:The stress of making a tough decision can cause a range of physical symptoms, from tension headaches and eye spasms to nausea and other stomach issues.
What Causes Decision Fatigue?
Experts explain that decision fatigue happens for various reasons, such as mental exhaustion from making trade-offs, difficult economic situations, and fluctuations in glucose levels. The constant need to make choices, whether small or significant, drains our cognitive resources, leading to a decreased ability to make further decisions effectively. Additionally, the pressure of difficult economic situations can amplify stress and anxiety, making decision-making even more taxing. Fluctuations in glucose levels can affect brain function, further compromising our capacity to think clearly and make sound decisions. These factors all play a role in how we experience and cope with decision-making challenges, contributing to the overall phenomenon of decision fatigue. Anyone can experience decision fatigue, but it's more likely to happen when:
You're tasked with making numerous decisions daily, similar to roles such as judges or surgeons, where quick, decisive actions are routine.
Your decisions carry significant weight for others, whether it's impacting family, employees, or even strangers depending on your role.
You're navigating through challenging life circumstances, turning even seemingly simple decisions into mentally draining tasks, such as arranging a memorial service.
You face uncertainty, especially evident during crises like the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when limited information makes decision-making exhausting and unpredictable.
You lean towards perfectionism, aiming for flawless outcomes in every decision, which can overwhelm your cognitive abilities and contribute to decision fatigue.
Everyday Tips to Help You Beat Decision Fatigue and Think Clearly
If you've made it this far, it's likely because you can relate to the exhaustion that comes from having to decide all the time. This is why the Simplish team wants to give you some advice on reducing decision fatigue.
Prioritize decisions: Identify key decisions and prioritize those that truly matter. Set others aside that drain your decision-making power.
Routines and Habits: Establish daily routines and habits to reduce the need for constant decision-making on simple tasks. Automating certain aspects of the day frees up mental load for more important decisions.
Strategic Breaks: Schedule short breaks throughout the day to recharge mental energy. Even a few minutes of meditation or mindful breathing can make a difference, especially outdoors.
Limiting Options: Narrow down the number of available choices to facilitate decision-making. Focus on a smaller, manageable set of options, ideally no more than three, to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Delegate responsibilities: Learn to delegate tasks when possible. Sharing the decision-making load can significantly alleviate decision fatigue.
Self-Care: Maintain a healthy lifestyle with adequate rest, self-regulation strategies, exercise, and a balanced diet. Having a healthy body and mind makes decision fatigue easier to deal with.
FAQs About Decision Fatigue with Clara Roberts Otero (Lic.)
Why do I get overwhelmed by simple decisions?
Throughout the day, even minor decisions can add up, leading to what we psychologists call decision fatigue. If you're someone who tends to be perfectionistic or feels anxious about making decisions, this can amplify the stress of even seemingly straightforward choices.
Your environment and daily schedule also play a significant role. When you're under time pressure or dealing with a hectic day, your ability to make clear decisions can be compromised, leaving you feeling more stressed and indecisive.
Why do I have to make all of the decisions in my relationship?
Feeling like you're making all the decisions in a relationship can happen for a few reasons. One is that you might naturally be more assertive or have clearer preferences than your partner. Another reason could be established habits where one person has traditionally led decision-making, which can create patterns of resentment. Also, each person in a relationship has their own expectations and comfort levels with making decisions, which can change over time. Communication and understanding these dynamics can help balance decision-making responsibilities in a relationship.
What is the difference between decision fatigue and indecisiveness?
It is important to note that these concepts may seem similar, but they differ in several ways. Decision fatigue is feeling mentally drained from making many decisions, often leading to poor choices. On the other hand, indecisiveness refers to struggling to make decisions due to fear, perfectionism, or having too many options.
Does decision fatigue cause overthinking?
Yes, decision fatigue can lead to overthinking. When you're experiencing decision fatigue, your mental resources are depleted from making many choices throughout the day. This depletion can make it harder to make decisions quickly and confidently. As a result, you may overanalyze options, second-guess yourself, or feel unsure about your choices.
What happens when you do not make a decision?
Difficulty making decisions can really affect your self-esteem. When you're stuck in indecision, your confidence and self-worth can take a hit. Not being able to decide can make you feel powerless and cause you to doubt your capabilities.