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Carve out time for yourself — and cut down the number of decisions you make each day
Paper or plastic? Tea or coffee? Debit or credit? Boxers or briefs?
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We make hundreds — maybe even thousands — of decisions every day. But they aren’t all that straightforward.
Which candidate should we hire? Should we renew our lease, even though we’ve been having relationship problems? Should we keep the patient overnight for observation, or send them home?
Sometimes, the volume, complexity or potential impact of the decisions you have to make in a day can leave you so physically, mentally and emotionally drained that “fries or a salad?” feels like a riddle.
We’re doing a deep dive into decision fatigue: What it is, what it isn’t, how to spot it and how to prevent it.
According to registered psychotherapist Natacha Duke, MA, RP, decision fatigue is a phenomenon (as opposed to a diagnosable medical condition) where the more decisions a person makes over the course of a day, the more physically, mentally and emotionally depleted they become. A person experiencing decision fatigue struggles with executive functioning. This can have a wide range of consequences, including impaired judgment.
Anyone can experience decision fatigue, but it’s most likely to occur when:
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Chances are, you fall into at least one of those categories (if not more) on a regular basis. So how can you tell when day-to-day frustrations have spilled over into decision fatigue?
We’ve compiled eight common symptoms of decision fatigue for your reference.
Remember: Decision fatigue is an acute (short-lived) experience. If you’re experiencing these symptoms every day, then something else more chronic may be going on.
Decision fatigue isn’t a problem that you should be facing day in and day out. “It’s usually an acute thing because most of the time when you’re suffering from true decision fatigue, you’ll have a recovery that’s reasonably quick,” notes Duke. “You’ll probably feel better after a day or so and be able to get back to your regular level of functioning.”
If you feel like you’re experiencing the symptoms of decision fatigue on the daily, it’s probably a good idea to let a healthcare provider or therapist know.
“I think what happens sometimes is that someone might be suffering from indecisiveness as a result of anxiety, depression or PTSD, something else that’s going on in terms of their mental health,” Duke explains.
“Indecisiveness can also be a symptom of burnout. If it’s something that’s happening chronically, it would be important to look into what’s really going on. Is it decision fatigue or is it a bigger issue?”
Everyone experiences decision fatigue from time to time. And that’s OK. While we can’t always control the situations that cause our decision fatigue, we can build protective measures into our daily lives to make that fatigue less likely and more manageable.
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We asked Duke what someone who’s up at 3 a.m. Googling “decision fatigue” should be doing to get to a better place. Her answer was telling: “They should be sleeping.”
Hard as it can be to experience decision fatigue, tomorrow is another day and — if you’re truly dealing with decision fatigue — that makes a big difference. If you don’t feel better after giving your body and mind an opportunity to “restore to factory settings,” then it’s probably time to talk to a healthcare professional.
“I always say that if you find yourself wondering if you should consult a therapist, then you probably should,” Duke says.
“It might be a one-off session where you get some tips to cope with decision fatigue when you feel it creeping up, or it might open up a window, to help you consider what else might be happening. Have you been ignoring other signs and symptoms that you’ve been experiencing, or maybe not realized that something else might be going on?
“It’s always better, in my opinion, to err on the side of caution and check it out.”
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