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What is decision fatigue? -

Decision fatigue is our decreasing ability to make good choices the more decisions we make. Essentially, our brain gets tired of making choices, and therefore begins to make worse ones or to avoid them altogether.

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What is decision fatigue? -

Consequently, this also affects our ability to avoid temptation. Numerous choices throughout the day wear us down, which makes us unable to resist things like impulse buys.

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Where can you see it? -

Decision fatigue isn’t something that just happens to some people. It happens to everyone, though the ramifications may be further reaching with some professions.

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Sports -

Decision fatigue is easily spotted on sports teams. The decision-makers will begin to get tired throughout the game, and you’ll be able to spot coaches, quarterbacks, or point guards making some increasingly rough calls as time goes on.

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Business -

The more decisions a person makes in a company, the worse their decisions are likely to be by the end of the day. That’s why some choices made by CEOs or CFOs are unimaginable to us, but they may have just been made at an afternoon meeting.

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Daily life -

We may not notice it regularly, but we are constantly making decisions. We decide on what to wear, what to eat, when to run errands, what our priorities are for the day, what to buy, etc. It’s an exhausting and seemingly never-ending cycle.

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Daily life -

It’s not just the obvious decision-making, however, that does us in. Even avoiding desires, such as not eating constantly, not sleeping at work, not goofing off, or not spending money drains our willpower throughout the day.

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How does it manifest? -

Decision fatigue usually comes about in a few specific ways. Your reactions to choices could be categorized as: procrastination, impulsivity, avoidance, or indecision. Either way, you’ll notice that you don’t seem to have a defined opinion on anything.

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Real-life implications -

While you may personally relate decision fatigue to that bad decision at work, that impulse buy, or that dessert you caved to, this mental exhaustion can have real-life consequences for many.

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Parole study -

A study conducted on judges and parole boards revealed that out of over 1,100 decisions, prisoners who appeared before court in the morning were granted parole 70% of the time, and those that appeared in the late afternoon got parole 10% of the time.

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Parole study -

The judges suffered from decision fatigue, getting worn down throughout the day by weighing the details of every case. This is not an unusual phenomenon, but it does have giant ramifications for these prisoners.

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Wealth gap -

Poorer people feel this fatigue even more strongly due to the amount of trade-offs they have to make throughout the day, especially when shopping. Researchers have argued that this constant decision-making leaves them with less willpower to do things that would improve their circumstances, such as school or work.

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Why now? -

Decision fatigue is only becoming more pronounced over time, as we continually have more options to choose from, both in terms of material objects and distractions, and therefore also have more temptations to avoid.

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How can you counteract it? -

While decision fatigue is sure to happen throughout the day, there are things that you can do to give yourself a boost, so as to save your willpower for the things that matter.

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1. Simplify your choices -

The more choices you have, the more decision fatigue you’re going to experience. By simplifying your daily routine as much as possible, you can help maintain more mental energy.

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Decide what is important -

You can’t do everything throughout the day without becoming exhausted, so pick what’s important to you. Is it how you look? What you’re eating? Your job? Your family? Then you can simplify the things that don’t matter as much.

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Pick out your clothes in advance -

Picking your clothes out the night before can really help in decision-making for the next day. Or you can use something like a capsule wardrobe to make all your apparel choices easier.

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Create a meal plan -

Instead of scrounging for lunch every morning or afternoon, try making a meal plan for the week. That way you don’t need to decide what to eat every day. If you can make your meals in advance, that’s even better.

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Create a routine -

A set daily routine, at least during the week, can really cut down on decision-making. Try getting up at the same time, going to the gym at the same time, and even eating at the same time when possible.

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Work from the same location -

If you have the option of working from home, that can create even more choices. Try to create a defined work area, as that will prevent you from deciding where you will work every morning, in addition to creating a space that can distance you from distractions.

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2. Get priorities out of the way early -

Since the best time to make decisions is in the morning, try to put all of your important tasks and decisions at the beginning of the day. This way, you’ll be more productive and make better choices.

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Make a short to-do list -

In order to figure out which priorities to sort through in the morning, make a short to-do list (Jory McKay of RescueTime suggests no more than five items) the night before. Then work through the tasks in order.

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3. Build momentum -

Instead of focusing on willpower, which is the force that drives you to start a task, try focusing on momentum. This means that you’re going to continue with tasks and skip over the part where you have to push yourself to begin.

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Put all the same tasks together -

The less often you have to switch up your focus and make a decision, the better. If you have several tasks along the same vein, try to do them all in a row so you don’t lose your momentum.

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Follow the five-minute rule -

Instead of starting a project with the idea of finishing in mind, which requires more motivation, go in with the goal of doing the project for five minutes. You’re more likely to continue with it after the time is over, as you’ll feel more accomplished and productive after starting.

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4. Lessen distractions -

Try to schedule times when you’re not allowed to distract yourself with anything. Try for no temptations for the first hour or two of work, before you can finally grab a snack or peruse the news. This means putting your phone away as well.

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5. Take a power nap -

A power nap can work as a quick reset for the mind. If you can, try taking a quick power nap during the day. You’ll wake up refreshed, and have more willpower.

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6. Eat something -

Studies have found that our decision-making briefly improves after lunch, as the glucose gives our brain an energy boost. Keep some snacks on hand for when you’re feeling particularly exhausted.

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7. Rest over the weekend -

Try to actually take a break over the weekend to reset your brain for the week to come. If you need to prep for the next week, try to limit it to one to two hours on Sunday.

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8. Avoid impulse decisions -

If at all possible, try to avoid making decisions when your willpower is low. That means no late-night e-mails, and no grocery shopping when you’re hungry.

See also: Here's how to listen to your body and improve your health.

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