Decision fatigue is a psychological phenomenon surrounding a person’s ability or capacity to make decisions. It is also called ego depletion. The theory surrounding decision fatigue is that a human’s ability to make decisions can get worse after making many decisions, as their brain will be more fatigued.
Whether you’re making breakfast or deciding what to wear in the morning, your brain is making upward of 35,000 decisions each day, according to Eva Krockow, lecturer at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.
Today we will cover:
- What to do if you are experiencing decision fatigue
- What are some steps to reduce the decision load.
Decision fatigue is setting in:
Recognize the symptoms.
- Difficulty making decisions.
- Procrastination.
- Impulsive decisions
- Irritability
- Lack of focus
- Poor judgment
- Reduced willpower
- Admit it to yourself.
- Take a break.
- Taking breaks between decision-making sessions can help you reset your mind and reduce decision fatigue.
Steps to reduce your decision-making load:
Simplify your routine: Simplifying your routine can help reduce the number of decisions you need to make daily. This could mean creating a meal plan for the week or setting a consistent morning routine.
Ask “what would you do?: Many times those that are coming to you for a decision already have an answer in mind. Use their brainpower to review the facts of the case, hear out their decision and weigh it against your experience.
Delegate your decisions: Use the leader- leader style of leadership. This is one of the best ways to train future leaders and reduce your decision load by having your direct reports show up with the facts at hand and their recommendation or decision.