Decision Fatigue - How It's Affecting Your Life and Work Performance

Whether we realize it or not, we're making decisions all day long. Whether it's choosing the right brand of coffee or scrolling past an add or deciding which social media to check. We're making decisions all the time.

And there's a problem with that - we're being drained and we don't even know it.

This doesn't even include work where - after a long day of making decisions, we feel drained, and our ability to make sound, thoughtful choices diminishes. This phenomenon is not a sign of weakness but rather, a natural human experience.

There is a flawed belief that we have an endless reservoir of willpower. That we can make good decisions all the time without a break.

But this isn't true and this misconception can lead to self-blame and frustration when we fail to accomplish everything we set out to do in a day or a week.

However - the key is to understand the concept of decision fatigue. And it's the first steo to mitigating its effects. In this post, we will explore it in depth, how it affects us, and most importantly, how we can combat it effectively.

What is Decision Fatigue?

Social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister was the first to coin the term 'decision fatigue'.

According to him, it as a state of mental exhaustion that occurs when making numerous decisions, leading to poor choices or decision avoidance.

This depletion or reduction in self-control comes from the concept that our willpower is a finite resource.

Just like how we have limited physical energy, we have only a limited amount of mental energy to use throughout the day.

Every choice we make depletes this energy, leaving us with less willpower to make future choices. As a result, take shortcuts or procrastinate.

This means that instead of worrying that you lack willpower or are lazy. you must consider whether you're facing the normal effects of making too many decisions a day.

How Does Decision Fatigue Affect Us?

Decision fatigue impacts various aspects of our lives, such as work performance and personal relationships. In the workplace, it can lead to procrastination, poor decision-making, and decreased productivity.

It can also negatively impact our relationships, as we become less patient and more irritable when tired. And we fail to give our time and attention to the people we love because we've used up our mental energy at work or at our businesses.

Here are a few everyday scenarios of decision fatigue so you know what it looks like. Take moms, especially those with newborns, with multiple kids, or those who work and look after homes. From deciding what to cook everday, multiple times a day, to making decisions at work, moms are often overwhelmed as the day goes by.

By the end of the day, this leads to exhaustion and despite her best intentions, it's pizza night again when a healthier meal might be better. Because it's just too much to have to plan, organize, and implement a full meal that's healthy, tasty, and filling.

At work this means the overworked manager. Managers also encounter decision fatigue regularly. They are required to make crucial business decisions, manage team dynamics, and prioritize the right tasks throughout the day.

An endless stream of decision-making can lead to fatigue, making them prone to procrastination or poor decision-making, particularly towards the end of the workday.

There's actually a study on how prisoners who are up for parole get better outcomes if they appear in front of judges right after lunch. This is because after hours spent evaluating facts and making decisions, these judges become more irritable and less likely to process information better. But after a good lunch, their energy levels are up and they are more lenient. Which is wild but also how humans function.

Finally, imagine yourself as a marketer under pressure. Marketers constantly face the challenge of making decisions that could significantly impact their company's reputation and bottom line.

They must decide on the appropriate marketing strategy, select the right target audience, and choose the most effective communication channel.

It's a lot and can easily lead to making poorer decisions especially when pushed towards a deadline.

How to Combat Decision Fatigue

The good news is that there are ways to combat decision fatigue effectively. Here are some practical tips:

Limit Your Decisions

One effective strategy to deal withdecision fatigue is to limit the number of decisions you need to make in a day. Just prioritize your tasks and focus on the most important things. And also, delegate where possible.

This strategy allows you to focus your mental energy on the most critical decisions. And you avoid developing early mental strain from working on minor choices. There's a reason why high-level executives have personal assistants to manage their schedules, their emails, and plan their travel.

Not only do such activities use up too much time but they also take up too much mental energy that is better used towards growing a company.

As a practical example of managing tasks better, a marketing could create content calendars to aviod making decisions daily. And also delegate tasks to their team instead of constantly making on-the-spot decisions about social media posts.

Pre-Plan Your Decisions

Another helpful approach is to pre-plan your decisions whenever possible.

What does this mean?

Decide what you'll do in various situations ahead of time. Have an emergency meeting at work? Train your assistant or peer to take over in an instant. Client fails to pay for your services? Decide on your communication and payment collection process ahead of time so you automatically launch the right processes.

Or determine what to wear or what to eat for the week during your weekend - you can significantly reduce the number of decisions you make on a busy weekday.

This not only saves time but also preserves your decision-making capabilities for more important matters.

Automate Tasks

Today, automation has become a handy tool to override decision fatigue. From scheduling emails to automating bill payments, you can minimize the number of decisions you have to make. And significantly reduce mental exhaustion.

To do this, you need the right tools. For instance, marketers can use social media management software to schedule their posts instead of constantly deciding when and what to post. You can also get email software, HR Tools for employee tracking, and so on.

Ensure Sufficient Rest

Adequate rest is also key to dealing with decision fatigue, especially in the long run. A well-rested mind is better equipped to make sound decisions.

So, ensure you get quality sleep and take short breaks throughout the day. Doing so will help you function better and more effectively.

And please, be wise and avoid electronics at night, create a bedtime routine, and find ways to relax and unwind. Prioritize rest to be better at work.

Eat Healthy

Your brain needs fuel to function at its best. The more decisions you make, the more you use up energy. Literally.

The brain consumes 20% of the body's energy. More, when it's doing heavy mental labor.

So, you want to eat healthy and balanced meals helps fuel your brain with the nutrients needed for optimal performance.

Also, in a thoughtful and mindful way, have a snack whenever you feel like you can't carry out any tasks but still have a lot to accomplish.

A hit of glucose from a healthy source can do a lot to help you stay productive. This is why coffee and tea are such global favorites.

Stay Hydrated

Apart from a healthy diet, staying hydrated is also critical for optimal brain function. When you're dehydrated, you just can't function and won't be able to make good choices.

Commit to drinking enough water a day, whether that's the recommended 3-4 litres or 8 cups daily.

There is a serious and well-established relationship between brain health, performance, and drinking enough water. So, prioritize hydration with lots of water or teas.

Practice Mindfulness

Also, you just need to learn mindfulness and meditation practices to use your brain more powerfcully.

Learning how to meditate means being present and not allowing your thoughts to distract you.

You'll stay focused and having fewer distracting thoughts means you'll use less mental energy in daily life and dedicate them to your work in the best proportions.

Mindfulness also helps you manage stress effectively, further supporting your in preventing decision fatigue. Practice meditation, deep breathing exercises, and conscious focus to enhance your mindfulness.

Build a Support Network

Finally, one effective strategy in managing or defeating decision fatigue is having a peer group, mentor or support network.

This circle can consist of friends, family members, or a mastermind group of professionals who can provide advice, offer different perspectives, or even assist with decision-making when needed.

A peer mentorship can help you build skills, learn about new and powerful tools, and grow overall.

And it can be simpler than that. Just give the right people a call and talk to them. The change in pace and the social interaction itself will give you a great mental boost to keep making good decisions all day.

Conclusion

Understanding decision fatigue is the first step towards managing it effectively.

Remember that your willpower is a finite resource, and you need to use it wisely.

I've covered a lot of helpful tips here, so apply them, and see yourself make better, powerful decisions all day long.