Do you ever feel that you just can't make one more decision? When you are asked, "what do you want for dinner," your automatic response is, "I don't care. You decide." The only thing my husband and I have a conflict over is who has to decide what we are having for dinner. A trivial problem, I know, with so many people suffering. But what I described is an example of a phenomenon called "decision fatigue." This explains the impaired ability to make a decision as a consequence of a repeated act of decision-making (Tierney, 2011).
While decision fatigue is undoubtedly not a new concept, it has been exacerbated by the added pressure of navigating a new environment. Prior to the pandemic, it was estimated that an American adult makes a calculated 35,000 decisions a day (Sollisch, 2016). With all the changes we have had to adapt to, it is hard to believe that the number hasn't increased.
That’s why it’s even more crucial to understand this phenomenon, because it affects many aspects of our day-to-day life. For example, as the decision's complexity increases, the more decision fatigue we will experience (Oto, 2012). And the likelihood of experiencing decision-fatigue increases as the day progresses (Kouchaki & Smith, 2014). Finally, sleep deprivation and physiological fatigue also impact decision fatigue (Harrison & Horne, 2000).
The following are some of the symptoms of decision fatigue:
More prone to avoidant behaviors and procrastination (Vohs et al., 2008).
Tend to be more passive in the decision-making process and may even choose not to act (Palinkas et al., 2017).
Demonstrate less persistence and choose a default option when given a series of choices (Riedel & Colao, 2014).
A tendency to react with more irritation than usual (Tierney, 2011).
While they experience decision fatigue, people are more susceptible to biases and taking mental shortcuts (Pocheptsova et al., 2009).
Evidence suggests that decision fatigue may also impact physical endurance (Vohs et al., 2008).
May fail to recognize all the potential alternatives. The possibility of losing is disproportionately valued over potential gains (Thaler et al., 1997).
If you find that you are experiencing any of the characteristics of decision fatigue, you may want to:
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Pause and consider how you are feeling. What types of challenges and decisions have you faced today? Consider both tough choices as well as the routine everyday ones.
Consider pending decisions. If you believe you might be experiencing some level of decision fatigue, try to postpone making the decision to another day, perhaps early in the day. Suppose it is not possible to wait to make a critical decision? In that case, you might find it helpful to review my blog on Stress and Decision Making (click here). I outline thoughts on how to improve decision making when you are under stress. This is also a practical approach when you are experiencing decision fatigue.
TIPS TO HELP
However, to prevent or minimize the impact of decision fatigue, you might want to consider the following:
Dedicate time early in the day to reflect on important decisions.
Delegate some of the decisions you make for work to other team members. Take some of the “pressure" off you by rotating family decisions such as “what's for dinner” to other household members. This may seem like a small thing, but I really love it when it’s my husband’s turn to plan dinner.
If you are having trouble with difficult decisions, find others you can bounce ideas off of to help you evaluate options.
Reduce the overall number of decisions you make in a day, such as preparing meals in advance.
Try breaking your working day into manageable chunks of time, dividing it up with time for breaks away from the screen.
Learning to tune in to what is going on inside of us and to pause before we react is one of the great lessons we can learn. This is especially critical when facing decisions that could have a long-lasting impact on our personal or business life. I've attached a brief and simple exercise you can use anytime you sense that you need a break, regardless of the reason.
References
Harrison Y, Horne JA. 2000; The impact of sleep deprivation on decision making: a review. J Exp Psychol Appl. 6(3):236–249. [PubMed: 11014055]
Kouchaki, M. & Smith, I.H. (2014). The morning morality effect: the influence of time of day on unethical behavior. Psychological Science. 25(1):95–102. [PubMed: 24166855]
Palinkas LA, et al. 2017; Adoption of innovative and evidence-based practices for children and adolescents in state-supported mental health clinics: a qualitative study. Health Research Policy and Systems. 15(1):27 [PubMed: 28356145]
Oto B. 2012; When thinking is hard: managing decision fatigue. EMS world. 41(5):46–50. [PubMed: 22670402]
Riedel J, Colao R. 2014; Change is hard: The promise of behavioral economics. American Journal of Health Promotion. 28(6):TAHP8–TAHP11.
Sollisch J. (2016). The Cure for Decision Fatigue. Wall Street Journal.
Thaler R, et al. 1997; The effect of myopia and loss aversion on risk taking: An experimental test. The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 112(2):647–661.
Tierney J. 2011Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue? New York Times. :1–11.
Vohs KD, et al. (2008). Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: A limited-resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 94(5):883–898. [PubMed: 18444745]