Navigating Decision Fatigue: Strategies for Simplifying Your Daily Choices
Here’s a fun statistic: the average adult makes 33,000-35,000 decisions in a day. Okay, maybe it isn’t “fun” per se, and it is eye-opening. Take a typical Wednesday morning - from the moment you open your eyes, you have to decide whether you’d like to a) sleep through your alarm, b) snooze, or c) wake up (assuming you set an alarm the night before). Now depending on the path you choose, you are now riddled with a domino effect of decisions. If you choose option c, you have to decide if you will brush your teeth or make your bed first (that is, if you haven’t been bombarded with people, emails, or other alerts demanding your attention). And if you choose b) to snooze your alarm, you now need to decide how many times you can snooze and what things you can do without today in the name of nine more minutes of sleep. If you choose option a, you have to decide how you will explain your lateness at work or childcare drop off which has now added a few more choice points to your day. And yet, all of these decisions happen within about 30 minutes of you waking up. Now imagine the other 30,000 literal decisions you make in a day. No wonder you feel exhausted before your day has actually begun.
Understanding Decision Fatigue
Being human these days is synonymous with having to make a lot of decisions. While research shows that roughly 90-95% of the choices we make do not happen consciously (i.e., you aren’t sitting down and carefully weighing out the remaining 29,997 decisions you will make today), they do impact your mental well-being. This can lead to decision overload or decision fatigue. According to the Cleveland Clinic, decision fatigue is a phenomenon where the amount of daily decisions one makes impacts one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Essentially, the more decisions we make, the poorer our choices become. However, decision fatigue is not a chronic condition and can resolve rather quickly, but can lead to burnout if left unaddressed. Decision fatigue isn’t limited to the sheer quantity of choices we have to make in a day; we’re more likely to experience decision fatigue when we are stressed, aware that our decisions can or will impact other people in our lives, and when we have to make several large or significant decisions (i.e., choosing between two job offers is a more significant decision than what you will have for lunch or what movie to watch).
Signs of Fatigue
On top of everything, our choices are less likely to be binary. We’re no longer living in a “this or that” world and therefore have dozens of options to choose from (e.g., how long does it take you to pick a show or movie to watch?). With an unlimited amount of options per every decision we make, we may find ourselves (and our perfectionistic tendencies) vying for “the best” or “most optimal” choice in a sea of possibilities. No wonder that people battling decision fatigue have a harder time making choices and are more likely to procrastinate and react impulsively. They are also more likely to experience burnout, brain fog, physical symptoms (e.g., stomach aches and headaches) irritability, and regret. If this sounds like you, here are some strategies to simplify your daily choices.
Keep a routine & make lists
Keeping a consistent routine (including weekends) can help reduce the sheer volume of decisions you make in a day. In all the “Be Like the super-rich” books published today, one of the many overlapping themes is routine and consistency. Whether it’s wearing the same type of outfit or eating the same meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, having a go-to routine can help cut out a large chunk of tedious decisions that you make, especially in the first half of your day. Reducing the amount of choices that you have to make in the morning increases your likelihood of making better decisions throughout the day, which tends to be more significant. Think of it this way: if you are in a marathon race and come out the gate sprinting, you’ll be gassed out well before you even reach the halfway mark. Now, keeping a routine doesn’t mean that you need to adopt a cartoon character-ish wardrobe (owning 11 blouses and slacks in the same exact color) or lifestyle. However, it does require you to put many choices on autopilot. This can include but is not limited to your outfits, meals, wake-up and sleep times, travel routes, hairstyles, and workout routines.
Making lists for daily or weekly routines can also help reduce decision fatigue. From morning routine checklists to weekly grocery staples, keeping a list of things that you consistently do, use, or need can ease the burden of having to make yet another decision. I like to keep a list of dinner ideas (with the staple ingredients) in my notes app. As someone who does not enjoy cooking, it makes thinking about and shopping for lunch and dinner super simple. And as someone who constantly finds themselves in the grocery store on Saturday afternoons (it’s always a big mistake every time), having one less thing to think about makes it a little bit easier to use my emotion regulation skills (because I really want to lose my shit every time). It also makes my trips go a little bit quicker too.
Automate what you can & Delegate what you can’t
Automating and delegating some decisions can further reduce the amount of choices you make in a day. Whether you decide to put some or all of your bills on autopay, invest in a robot vacuum with timed cleaning settings, purchase that automatic feeder, or assign tasks on your plate (that maybe didn’t belong there in the first place) to others, you can continue to reduce the sheer volume of choices (and possibly stress) in your life. If you struggle with control or perfectionism (aka anxiety), the idea of automating and delegating may send chills down your spine. However, if all the tasks and expectations you placed on yourself were as simple as you convince yourself it is, you wouldn’t be struggling right now. And unfortunately, anxiety is really good at convincing you that your pain isn’t “that big of a deal” or worthwhile. It is. When you begin to automate and delegate, you may also begin to see the resources and community around you that you previously denied yourself because you “should have been able to manage.” As you consider what you can reassign, you may realize that your neighbor has been offering to dog sit for you so you can get some alone time. Or perhaps that co-worker who is constantly asking you “Can I give you a hand with that” or “Let me know how I can help” does have the capacity to show up for you. What’s clear is that continuing to manage everything on your own will leave you isolated and burnt out.
Avoid procrastinating
Contrary to popular belief, you do not work “better under pressure.” You just work anxiously. Have you gotten great results after submitting that report at 11:59 PM? Maybe. But you also triggered the same physiological reaction in your body as if it were being chased by a polar bear (i.e., rapid breathing, shaking hands/limbs, mind going blank, or thoughts running a mile a minute, etc). In my opinion, I don’t think we should seek out triggering our survival instincts when making daily decisions. And how many more sayings do we need before we recognize that procrastination (and avoidance) are not our friends? “A stitch in time saves nine”, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today”, and “Procrastination is the thief of time” are just a few.
When we procrastinate, we’re also more likely to react impulsively and make poorer decisions. Think back to a time you wished you had given yourself more time to sit with a choice. Perhaps it was about going on a second date or weighing your benefits package at your new job. When we wait until the last second, we give ourselves less time to weigh out the pros and cons of a situation which often leads to feelings of regret. And again, regretting a decision is often a good sign of decision fatigue.
Limit your volume of choices when possible
We have an unprecedented number of choices at our fingertips for almost every decision these days. Do you want to order dinner using Uber Eats, DoorDash, Too Good To Go, or the countless other food delivery apps available? And when you do choose an app, do you want Indian or Thai food? Pizza or sushi? Korean BBQ or vegan tacos? In a world of too many options, we can easily find ourselves in ‘analysis paralysis’ or choice paralysis, a specific type of decision fatigue where we struggle to make decisions when given a variety of options. Where you can, limit the volume of your options. In this example, this might mean sticking to one food delivery service and deleting the other five in your phone or having a ‘go to’ restaurant that you order from instead of sifting through the thousands vying for your attention.
Final Thoughts from a Burnout Therapist in New York
Who wants to make 30,000 decisions in a day? I know I don’t. Managing decision fatigue is crucial for maintaining your mental and emotional well-being in today's fast-paced world. By implementing strategies like maintaining a consistent routine, creating lists, automating tasks, delegating responsibilities, avoiding procrastination, and limiting choices, you can significantly reduce the number of decisions you need to make daily. These strategies can also help you alleviate feelings of overwhelm and help prevent burnout. Remember, it's not about eliminating decisions entirely but managing them in a way that minimizes stress and enhances your overall quality of life. Prioritizing these techniques can lead to a more focused, productive, and fulfilling day, allowing you to reserve your energy for the decisions that truly matter. If you’re interested in learning more about how burnout therapy can help you manage decision fatigue, reach out to The Lavender Therapy.
Ready To Reclaim Your Piece of Mind?
If decision fatigue is wearing you down, it’s time to reclaim your mental energy and make choices that truly matter. I’m here to support you in creating a balanced approach that reduces overwhelm and helps you focus on what’s most important in your life. Together, we can develop strategies that ease your decision-making process and bring back clarity and calm to your day. Don’t let the endless stream of choices drain you—reach out today to start making decisions that support your well-being and prevent burnout.
Book a free initial consultation to discuss how burnout therapy can help you manage decision fatigue and burnout.
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Learn to navigate your day with ease, making decisions that align with your values without the pressure and exhaustion!
Other Services I Offer As A Therapist for Burnout
In addition to helping women manage relationship burnout, I offer a range of specialized services to support you through various life phases. Whether you need assistance with postpartum and pregnancy concerns, therapy for women, or family planning therapy, I'm here to guide you every step of the way. I also offer therapy for infertility and pregnancy loss, let's work together to find balance and well-being in your life.
About The Author:
Dr. Ruby Rhoden is a New York-based psychologist who is dedicated to uplifting women through life changes and challenges, including reproduction. She understands how unhelpful behavior patterns and mental health disorders uniquely impact women and uses evidence-based techniques to usher in sustainable change and relief. In addition to providing decision fatigue relief tips and tricks, Dr. Ruby is dedicated to helping women develop healthier habits and relationships with themselves and their bodies so they can connect to others and the world around them again. Dr. Ruby studied at Cornell University and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey for her Bachelor’s and Doctoral degrees, respectively. In her free time, she enjoys watching reality TV, supporting small businesses, and writing blog posts to remind all women that they are not alone.
