introduction
In most work settings today we are faced with hundreds of small to large decisions on a daily basis. Whether it’s selecting clothes to wear or what food to eat, or how we organize our list of tasks and manage our time and obligations.
Each individual decision may seem unimportant; however, the cumulative mental energy used in making repeated decisions will lead to a decrease in mental energy, or decision fatigue, which is what we experience over time as our attention span decreases and will have a negative impact on our focus, motivation, and performance.
As we continue to experience increasing levels of decision fatigue, even our most basic tasks may become overwhelming undertakings, thereby increasing our likelihood to procrastinate and causing us to make poor decisions. Many times, when people reach this state, they interpret the feelings associated with decision fatigue as laziness and lack of self-discipline; however, the underlying problem is a mental overload, not a lack of motivation.
With time, this mental fatigue will impact our time management and will lead to stress and poor performance in both your personal and professional life.
In this article, we will be discussing how decision fatigue develops and how this fatigue impacts productivity, and we will also be providing you with some real-life examples of how to deal with decision fatigue so that you can work more effectively and efficiently.
What Is Decision Fatigue
Decision fatigue refers to an individual’s mental exhaustion resulting from a large number of repeated decisions over time. Although not all decisions are difficult to make, each one requires mental effort that “uses up” some of our mental resources. Once we reach the end of our stored mental resources, our ability to make smart and thoughtful decisions will decrease dramatically.
Not only do we have to consider our major life-altering decisions, but we also should not limit ourselves to thinking about only those larger decisions when it comes to decision fatigue. Smaller decisions, such as what to eat for lunch or which task to prioritize in your schedule, will also contribute to mental fatigue.
As we experience increasing amounts of decision fatigue, we are also increasingly likely to procrastinate on those decisions until it is too late, make impulsive choices, and/or delay making them altogether.
The key to being able to manage decision fatigue effectively is understanding what it means. Knowing how much mental energy we have available and knowing how many unnecessary decisions we make daily allows us to prioritize our mental energy while still being able to accomplish the things we want to accomplish each day.
Everyday Examples
The phenomenon of decision fatigue occurs not only at critical moments when a lot of choices need to be made, but it also builds slowly through many small decisions each day. Simple, repeated choices continually consume your ability to make rational decisions and reduce your capacity for being productive as well. Decision fatigue settles in gradually through daily life choices such as
Your morning routine: Each morning you make the same three decisions—what clothing to wear, what breakfast to eat, and what to do first.
At work: You have a variety of decisions to make about which emails to respond to first, which projects to work on next, and how to manage meetings.
At home: You plan meals, choose family activities, and keep a record of errands that need to be done.
Online: You must continue to choose what to download, respond to notifications, and review your social media feeds.
While each of these daily choices may seem inconsequential, when you add them all together, they create a sense of being mentally drained at the end of the day. Understanding these basic examples helps to identify where decision fatigue is affecting you and where to simplify your choices in order to increase productivity.
Brain Energy Drain
According to Healthline, brain energy drain (or mental fatigue) is the term used to describe how someone feels mentally exhausted from extended periods of time spent concentrating, worrying, or being stimulated by something other than the actual work itself (i.e., physical exertion). Brain energy drain leads to decreased focus, increased irritability, and decreased ability to make decisions and has the same effect on people regardless of how much “rest” or recuperation they have had.
Brain energy drain results from the continuous increase of cognitive load, multitasking, and emotional strain, causing previously relatively easy tasks to become incredibly difficult. The following steps will assist in managing and overcoming brain energy drain: Take breaks; do only one job at once; obtain adequate sleep, eat well, and exercise often.
The causes of brain energy drain include:
Prolonged periods of mentally-intensive activity (for example, Through sustained concentration and learning);
Multitasking (i.e., changing from one job to another quickly) reduces mental reserve more quickly than single-tasking;
Stress and overstimulation from simple tasks plus constant alerts, man-made urgencies and excessive emotional stress overwhelm the nervous system.
Decision Fatigue (when too many decisions are made) deplete mental reserves;
“Pseudo-productivity” (when someone spends an extravagant amount of time contemplating and preparing to undertake an emotional decision but does not follow through).
Simplifying Choices
Plan your day in advance—create a routine in advance so you do not make any last-minute, unnecessary decisions.
Reduce your wardrobe options—use a capsule wardrobe or regularly wear the same outfits to limit your number of clothing decisions.
Automate your meals and snacks—prepare meals in advance or stick to a few straightforward, consistent meal plans.
Use a productivity system—create lists or use applications to prioritize tasks. This way, you are not constantly making decisions about what to do next throughout the day.
Declutter your physical workspace—when your workspace is organized and clean, you do not need to make decisions about where to go or what to do.
By reducing your number of unnecessary decisions intentionally, you can save mental energy to focus on tasks that will result in the most significant impact and maintain productivity for the rest of your day.
Daily Reset Techniques
Daily reset techniques are an essential aspect of your daily activity to prevent the accumulation of decision fatigue. These techniques assist in recharging your brain and keeping it focused throughout your day.
Additionally, they contribute to restoring energy levels, ultimately enhancing the quality of your decision-making.
Here are several daily reset approaches you might consider using:
Take advantage of short breaks: Take five to ten minutes away from each task to totally clear your mind before moving on to the next.
Use mindful breathing techniques: Spend a few minutes on mindful breathing techniques or engaging in some sort of meditative practice to relax your body and clarify your mind.
Explore movement activity: The brain benefits from both stretching and physical activity, creating momentum and improving the flow of blood and oxygen throughout your body.
Create digital detox rules: Getting away from all screens periodically and turning off notifications helps alleviate the burden of information overload and cognitive distress caused by constantly interrupted thoughts
Hydrate and eat: Drinking water and eating small amounts of healthy snack foods will assist you in preventing “crashing” or “dipping” of your energy level.
Using these types of strategies can help you stay awake, be more productive, and ultimately make better decisions, all while preventing you from feeling overwhelmed by an excessive burden of mental activity.
Conclusion
Decision fatigue can affect how much we produce at work, as it can take away from our mental ability and our productivity slowly over time. As you begin your day, you are constantly making decisions about what you will do with your time and energy, as well as who you will work with.
Throughout the day, you continue to make many small and some large decisions about how you spend your time and the choices you make.
Decision fatigue is both an emotional and physical drain on your brain; every time you make a decision, it consumes some of the energy stored within your brain. This means that after a long day of consistently checking emails, reading reports, managing meetings, and making decisions about how to complete your daily tasks, your brain will have little to no energy left to function at its highest level.
Decision fatigue can be addressed and even managed by simplifying your decision-making process by creating daily habits or routines. If you want to maximize your productivity and clarity, develop a habit of prioritizing your daily tasks, establish a habit of daily reset, and also develop a habit of prioritizing your daily tasks.