Hot or iced coffee? Paper or plastic straw? Debit card or credit card? Take the train or drive to work? Take the stairs or take the elevator? It is estimated that the average adult makes 35,000 conscious decisions every single day according to PBS News. Out of those estimated 35,000 decisions, not all of them are straightforward.
At times, your decisions may be more difficult ones. For instance, maybe you and your partner are deciding if you should move in with one another. If you are in this position, read our blog “How To Know If It’s The Right Time To Move In With Your Partner.” On the other hand, maybe you are deciding if your teen should remain in public school or apply for admission to a private high school. Check out our blog “How To Support Your Teen Through High School and College Application Anxiety.”
The amount of decisions you have to make and the complexity of those choices can leave you feeling emotionally, mentally, and physically depleted. It can do this so much that a simple question like “Do you want a soda or water with your dinner?” feels like an impossible riddle to solve. If this is resonating with you, you may be dealing with decision fatigue.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
What Does Decision Fatigue Mean?
To heal from decision fatigue, we must first understand what it is. While decision fatigue is very real, it is not a diagnosable mental health condition. Instead, it can be viewed as a phenomenon where the more decisions you make over the course of a day, the more depleted you become emotionally, mentally, and physically.
As humans, we have the independence and ability to make choices on our own. However, this does not mean that decision-making does not have its own fair share of challenges. Balancing needs with beneficial decisions can be hard.
Let us say that you are starving while out running errands with your family so you decide to stop at a restaurant. You all decide on a place to eat and get seated in a perfect corner booth. But, when you receive the menus, you realize that there are eight pages of, what seems like, never-ending food options.
You begin to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and maybe even anxious. How can you possibly pick something to eat when there are this many options? Will I make the right selection? What if I order something and, then, see someone else’s food that I like more?
There are many places where you can experience decision fatigue, even going to a restaurant.
Decision power is a limited resource. You can think of it as a muscle. The more you exercise it, the more worn out it will become. The human mind becomes tired with continuous decision making, especially if the questions are very difficult ones to answer.
Exploring the Depths of Decision Fatigue: Why Does Decision Fatigue Happen?
There are several factors that may trigger decision fatigue.
Decision fatigue can happen to anyone, but it is most likely to happen when:
You make a lot of decisions on a daily basis - It is possible that you work in a high-stress job, such as the finance industry, that requires you to make a lot of decisions. Check out our blog “How to Manage Stress While Working in the Financial Industry” for some support. Even if you would not consider your job to be high-stress, it is likely that you play many roles that require multiple quick decisions every day.
Your decisions impact other people - Whether your decision impacts a significant other, a child, your employees, or so on, if other people are affected by your choices, it adds an extra layer of pressure. Maybe you are deciding if you should take a job across the country even though it would also require your partner to move with you. Perhaps you are deciding if you should become a stay-at-home mother instead of returning back to the workforce after birth.
You are dealing with a difficult life transition - Finding a place to live and moving is already stressful but, when you couple that with a divorce, it can be extra challenging.
You are under intense and/or chronic stress - Added stress does not do anyone any good. When you experience a high level of stress, there are mental, emotional, and physical consequences. When you are in this condition and making many decisions, the decision fatigue can really set in.
Existing mental health issues - How mentally fit you feel can impact your ability to feel decision fatigue. If you are experiencing poor mental health, such as struggling with depression, it can make making decisions more difficult for you. When you are mentally struggling, your decision-making abilities may feel ‘off.’
General exhaustion or fatigue - If your body is feeling fatigued, it is likely that your mind is tired too. Maybe you have taken on a new position at work which requires more hours. As a result, you are now sleeping less and even experiencing the earlier signs of burnout. If you believe you are experiencing burnout, read our blog “3 Ways to Achieve Work-Life Balance.” Feelings of fatigue and exhaustion can contribute to decision fatigue.
You are a self-described ‘perfectionist’ - If your standard for everything is perfection, you will likely rethink every single decision you make. This is exhausting and can deplete your energy. Check out our blog “7 Ways to Let Go of Control Issues” for support.
You are faced with uncertainty - During the COVID-19 pandemic (especially the early stages of the epidemic) you may have struggled with decision fatigue which was very normal. Now, for example, you may be graduating from college and trying to figure out what your next steps are. Read our blog “Navigating Post-Grad Life: 9 Essential Insights for Recent College Graduates” for more information.
Know the Signs and Symptoms: Do I Have Decision Fatigue?
Decision fatigue is not always an easy thing to spot. Generally, decision fatigue is a short-lived occurrence. But, if you are experiencing symptoms every day for a prolonged period of time, something chronic may be occurring.
Here are some telltale signs of decision fatigue:
Impulsivity - If you are constantly making decisions, you can find yourself being less careful about some other choices in your life. Maybe you are so consumed at work that decisions regarding your personal life are not given much thought or consideration. Perhaps you are going to get fast-food after work even though you know it gives you a stomach ache. Maybe you are calling that ex who you know is no good for you. Or maybe you are being compulsive with shopping. Impulsivity can take many forms.
Procrastination - Putting off making decisions or even avoiding situations altogether may be big signs of decision fatigue. In some cases, you may be procrastinating without even consciously recognizing it.
Brain fog - You were giving a big presentation at work and suddenly your thoughts disappeared, leaving the station and leaving you speechless. Or maybe you get too distracted when people are trying to talk to you that you cannot even focus on what they are saying. Decision fatigue can trigger brain fog.
Overwhelmed - You feel like your mind and your schedule is packed to the brim. How can you possibly juggle everything? Getting overwhelmed is a major problem and it could be a potential signal of decision fatigue.
Physical discomfort - When you are under stress from having to make a big decision, physical symptoms can arise, like headaches, eye twitches, nausea, and stomach problems. Read our blog “3 Ways to Manage Your Physical Anxiety Symptoms.”
Irritability - When you are emotionally and mentally depleted, it is easy to bite someone's head off in one instant.
Regret or dissatisfaction - You made a decision but, hour passed, and you are still ruminating about the choice. If you are constantly questioning the decision you made, it could be rooted from decision fatigue.
Over a long period of time, decision fatigue can cause increased anxiety, depression, and physical effects.
Can Therapy Help With Decision Making?
When you share the mental load of making a decision with a stress therapist, it can help prevent any feelings of overwhelm you may experience in the future. If you are up searching “decision fatigue” on the internet at 2:00 am, it is probably a sign that you should seek the help of a stress counselor near you.
At Anchor Therapy, we offer stress therapy in our downtown Hoboken, NJ office. We also offer online stress counseling to all residents of New Jersey (including Bergen County, Jersey City, and Montclair), New York, and Florida.
Maybe you are just attending Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT, to change your negative thought patterns and learn some helpful coping skills. On the other hand, perhaps you are trying to engage in long-term therapy to get to the root cause of your issues, such as childhood trauma.
A stress therapist can play a big part of your mental health healing journey, teaching you how to navigate and manage decision fatigue.
Here are a few ways an Anchor Therapy therapist can provide support for decision fatigue:
Pinpointing patterns
Prioritizing strategies
Crafting decision-making skills
Setting boundaries
Time management
Inspiring self-compassion
Coping with the unknown
Navigating values and goals
Stress reduction techniques
Our fully-licensed mental health counselors hold a non-judgmental space for you to explore your ability to make decisions, pinpoint obstacles, and craft realistic strategies to ward off decision fatigue.
Mindful Decision-Making: What Can I Do To Prevent Decision Fatigue?
At some point in time, everyone will experience decision fatigue and it is helpful to know what to do when this feeling hits. You cannot always control the situations that trigger your decision fatigue, but you can create protective measures to make the fatigue more controllable.
In addition to stress counseling, here are some additional steps you can take to manage and/or prevent your decision fatigue:
Delegate when possible - I know, I know. When you feel the constant need to be in control, handing off work to someone else feels like a perfectionist’s worst nightmare. The truth is that delegating not only takes work off of your plate but it also presents someone new with the opportunity to handle the task with a pair of fresh eyes. When you are making decision after decision, it is easy to make a mistake. After all, you are a human being not a robot.
Prioritize sleep - There is a reason why people say “Sleep on it” when it comes to making a big decision. When you are sleep deprived, you have poor impulse control and are unable to regulate your emotions in an effective manner. Try to make the effort to get a good night’s sleep, particularly when you feel the decision fatigue hitting. This could mean turning off devices an hour before bed or doing a meditation before hitting the sack. If you are struggling with sleep, our blog “How CBT Can Help With Your Insomnia” is a must-read.
Exercise - Working out is great for both your mental and physical health. It even helps with your ability to make decisions. Remember, any form of movement is better than no movement at all! For more information, read our blog “5 Ways Exercise Benefits Your Mental Health.”
Remove some elements of choice from your daily life - While it may seem impossible to lighten your load, when you go through your daily routine in detail, you may discover some room for improvement. For example, maybe you can decide to stick to a neutral wardrobe for work so it is easier to pick out clothes in the morning. Maybe from now on you will stick to the same brand of coffee when you go to the grocery store.
Make time for self-care - Self-care is not selfish- it is necessary. You cannot help others if your energy is depleting. Before filling up someone else’s cup, your cup must be filled first. Having a solid self-care routine in place can help prevent decision fatigue and, if decision fatigue does occur, it will be easier to handle when you care for your needs and overall well-being. Check out our blog “The 8 Forms of Self-Care & How You Can Practice Them.”
If you are feeling irritable and mentally depleted, there may be a chance you are struggling with decision fatigue. Decision fatigue is a temporary experience, and speaking with a stress counselor can assist by providing you with time management skills and stress reduction techniques. Take a look at all of the decisions you are making, no matter how big or small, and think about the changes you can make to lead a more positive life.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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