What is decision fatigue?
We all make decisions, big or small, every single day. What time to get up, what to wear for an event or work, what food to eat for dinner, etc. All of the daily life tasks can be overwhelming and tedious at times, which may cause someone to feel anxious. The more decisions you have to make can create anxiety for you that is unwanted and annoying.
The American Medical Association defines decision fatigue as the “idea that after making decisions, your ability to make more and more decisions over the course of a day becomes worse.” Anxiety symptoms can worsen if you feel drained from making too many decisions in your personal, academic, or professional life, or any other area for that matter. If you are experiencing brain fog or slight panic when it comes to making decisions, here are some tips you can try to help!
Tips to help with decision fatigue:
Develop Daily Routines
When you create a routine and put the important tasks on autopilot, it can help alleviate stress when you are trying to simplify your everyday life choices to create less fatigue.
Streamline Your Choices
Making lists can help you to avoid random decisions such as what items you need to get at the grocery store or what exercises you want in your workout. Creating lists can help you feel prepared and not anxious about having some down time.
Don’t Second Guess Yourself
The choice you made was the right one for you, don’t rethink if it was the best one or if it was perfect, let it go and be present in the moment and avoid going back and forth because they will create more fatigue.
Ask for Help
Allow others to delegate certain tasks that may not be a priority for you such as which location to eat dinner at for a birthday celebration or asking a coworker to help you on a project with smaller tasks you may not get to in time. (1)
Now that you know how to navigate decision fatigue at the moment, remember that it is not a constant problem for you and that you can choose to feel better daily with structure or ask for help in certain situations so that you can be at your best level of functioning. The world deserves you at your best in daily life, whether you are a friend, sibling, mother, or grandfather. We all have choices to make daily for ourselves and sometimes for those we love in our home, why not make it easier for ourselves and find what works for us to create balance and avoid decision fatigue?
If you are experiencing procrastination or impulsivity when it comes to complex decisions and are unsure where to go from here, please reach out to our Arlington, TX-based therapy office. With the help of a therapist, you can learn how to create balance and honor your well-being in the process.
