Battling Decision Fatigue: How to Recognize It and Overcome It
As leaders, professionals, and multitaskers, we face countless decisions every day—some small, others monumental. From choosing what to wear to tackling strategic business moves, our brains are constantly working. In fact, research shows that on average, people make over 35,000 decisions per day. With so many choices, it’s no wonder our mental energy gets depleted. But have you ever felt mentally drained, impulsive, or unable to make even the simplest decision by the end of the day? You might be experiencing decision fatigue.
What is Decision Fatigue?
Decision fatigue refers to the mental and emotional exhaustion that comes from making too many decisions. As our cognitive resources are depleted, our ability to think critically and make effective choices diminishes. This can result in procrastination, poor decisions, or even avoidance.
While decision fatigue affects everyone, leaders and high-performers are particularly susceptible due to the sheer volume and complexity of their daily choices. Recognizing the symptoms early is essential to prevent burnout and maintain effectiveness.
Signs You Might Be Experiencing Decision Fatigue
Procrastination Struggling to make even minor decisions, delaying tasks, or avoiding choices altogether.
Impulsive Decisions Opting for quick, easy solutions instead of well-thought-out ones.
Decline in Decision Quality Making errors or showing reduced attention to detail as the day progresses.
Overwhelm Feeling mentally drained or stressed when confronted with too many options.
Irritability Experiencing heightened frustration, emotional reactivity, or impatience.
Physical Symptoms Fatigue, tension headaches, or a general sense of burnout accompanying your mental state.
The Range of Decisions We Make Daily
On average, people face over 35,000 decisions per day, spanning various areas of life. Here are some examples:
Personal Decisions: What to eat, what to wear, when to exercise, and how to spend free time.
Life Decisions: Choosing where to live, managing finances, planning vacations, or navigating relationships.
Leadership Decisions: Setting priorities for your team, addressing conflicts, and making strategic calls for long-term growth.
Business Decisions: Managing budgets, hiring or firing staff, determining product direction, or evaluating partnerships.
Everyday Micro-Decisions: Replying to emails, deciding which tasks to tackle first, and selecting which meetings to attend.
Even seemingly trivial choices, like deciding whether to check your phone or what playlist to listen to, can add up and drain mental energy over time.
How to Overcome Decision Fatigue
Fortunately, decision fatigue isn’t a permanent state. With intentional strategies, you can conserve your mental energy and make decisions more effectively.
1. Simplify and Automate Decisions
Streamline Routines: Establish routines for recurring daily tasks like meals, clothing, and morning rituals. For example, adopting a "work uniform" or pre-planning meals can eliminate unnecessary choices.
Leverage Technology: Use tools like task managers, calendars, or templates to automate decision-heavy processes.
2. Prioritize High-Impact Decisions
Frontload Your Day: Tackle significant decisions early, when your mental energy is at its peak.
Delegate: Empower trusted team members to handle lower-priority tasks or decisions.
3. Batch Similar Decisions
Group similar tasks—like responding to emails or scheduling meetings—and handle them in focused blocks of time. This minimizes the mental switching costs of jumping between unrelated tasks.
4. Set Boundaries and Limits
Eliminate Unnecessary Choices: Reduce your options by pre-selecting or limiting choices, whether it’s for personal tasks or professional decisions.
Say No: Protect your energy by declining commitments or distractions that don’t align with your priorities.
5. Practice Self-Care
Recharge Regularly: Incorporate short breaks throughout the day to reset and replenish your energy.
Focus on Basics: Ensure adequate sleep, regular exercise, and proper nutrition to support overall cognitive function.
6. Use Decision Frameworks
Tools like a pros-and-cons list, prioritization matrix, or decision tree can simplify complex choices and add clarity.
7. Schedule Reflection Time
Regularly evaluate your decision-making process to identify areas for improvement.
Recognize when you’re nearing mental exhaustion and give yourself permission to pause or revisit decisions later.
Final Thoughts
Decision fatigue is an inevitable part of modern life, especially for leaders tasked with making constant choices. But by adopting proactive strategies—simplifying decisions, prioritizing tasks, and practicing self-care—you can safeguard your mental energy for what truly matters. Remember, the goal isn’t to make every decision perfectly but to approach decision-making intentionally and effectively.
Start small. Streamline your routine. And most importantly, give yourself grace—sometimes the best decision you can make is to take a step back and recharge. After all, a well-rested mind makes better decisions.
— Kristie Clayton
HERverse Founder
#HERthoughts
