Combating Decision Fatigue

Ever found yourself struggling to decide what to eat for breakfast or which email to tackle first? You’re most definitely not alone. From the trivial to the most important, we make an estimated 35,000 choices every day. While having control over our decisions can feel liberating, it can also be incredibly draining. Constantly making choices, big or small, can leave you feeling depleted, and even a bit irritable.

Sound familiar? That’s decision fatigue.

The more decisions you make, the more drained you become. This can lead to procrastination, hasty choices, and analysis paralysis. Basically, you only have so much energy for decision-making each day.

 So how to you combat this!? Some strategies I try to use myself:

• Systems – reduce the decisions you need to make. Meal plan your breakfasts on a Sunday, or lay out your shirts for the week all at once.

• Delegate decisions, or rotate responsibilities – especially small ones.

• Manage your stress and get sleep – you need your energy to make choices!

• You may want to tackle complex or consequential work earlier in the day, if that’s when you have the most energy.

• Take a break – make a coffee, a tea, or take a quick lap around the block.If you’re really stuck – give the DACI framework a try, or phone a friend.

Your time and energy is important. Focus on your focus to make the best decisions you can (and maybe even eliminate some of them!)