Your brain has a limited amount of mental energy for making choices each day. Making many decisions, especially difficult or complex ones, drains your mental resources over time. This is known as decision fatigue — your ability to make effective choices deteriorates as you get mentally drained.
Decision fatigue reduces self-control and willpower. When mental energy is depleted from continual decision-making, people are more likely to make impulse purchases, choose unhealthy foods, or react impatiently. They may also find it harder to resist temptation or control negative emotions and behaviors.
The good news is that mental resources can be restored. By being aware of how decision fatigue impacts you and purposefully recharging and simplifying, you can avoid the effects of depleted mental resources and maintain self-control and willpower.
The Causes and Effects of Decision Fatigue
As humans, we make thousands of daily decisions, from minor choices like what to eat for breakfast to major life decisions. All these constant choices can take a toll, leading to decision fatigue. What causes decision fatigue? There are a few factors at play:
- Limited mental resources – Our minds have a limited amount of mental energy and willpower. Making many decisions depletes this energy, making subsequent choices more difficult.
- Too many options – When faced with too many options, our mental circuitry overloads. This is known as “choice overload” and contributes significantly to decision fatigue.
- Difficulty of decisions – Complex or emotional choices that require weighing many factors drain more mental resources than simple decisions, speeding up the onset of decision fatigue.
The effects of decision fatigue include:
- Poorer decision-making – When mental energy is depleted, people are more prone to impulse purchases, choosing unhealthy foods, or making risky decisions.
- Procrastination – You put off making additional choices because you feel drained, even for seemingly simple tasks. This can negatively impact productivity and goal achievement.
- Willpower depletion – Decision fatigue erodes your self-control and determination. You become less able to resist temptations or persevere in facing challenges.
How to Combat Decision Fatigue
Too many daily decisions can wear down your mental stamina and willpower, leading to decision fatigue. Here are some effective ways to combat it:
Limit Choices
The more choices you have to make, the more fatigued your mind becomes. Reduce options whenever you can. Keep your morning routine simple by picking out your outfit the night before. Choose the same lunch spot each day instead of trying to decide on the fly. Have a standard set of grocery items you buy each week. Minimizing trivial choices frees up your mental energy for more important decisions.
Take Breaks
Take short breaks from making choices to give your mind a chance to rest. Step away from your to-do list for 15-20 minutes to recharge. Go for a quick walk, do some light exercise like yoga, or read something unrelated to work. A short respite can help you feel rejuvenated and better able to focus when decision-making calls again.
Prioritize Important Choices
Not all choices demand the same level of attention and effort. Prioritize the important, complicated decisions that truly require your mental focus. Delegate or outsource minor choices whenever possible. Ask a colleague for input or see if a task can wait until your mind is fresher tomorrow. Save your best thinking for the decisions that matter.
Go With Your Gut
For minor everyday choices, don’t overthink things. Go with your instinct or gut feeling instead of weighing all the options. Your intuition can guide you to a good enough choice without depleting your mental energy. Of course, gather all the relevant information for more significant complex decisions. But when possible, keep things simple by trusting your gut.
Decision fatigue is real. Following these tips can help you have the mental stamina to make the best choices when it counts the most. Book a consultation with us for anxiety treatment if you need more help in this area.
