What is Decision Fatigue?
Decision fatigue is the deterioration of our ability to make high quality decisions as the day goes on. The more decisions we make throughout the day, the worse we become at making those decisions, or so the theory goes.
In one study, researchers observed over 1,100 parole hearing decisions made by US judges. They found that the most influential factor in whether the individual was granted parole wasn’t their crime or background, but what time of the day their case was heard.
“Prisoners who appeared early in the morning received parole about 70 percent of the time, while those who appeared late in the day were paroled less than 10 percent of the time.”
Why Should You Care?
Decision fatigue can affect us in all areas of life. It can reduce our willpower, making us more likely to skip the gym, eat the value pack of doughnuts, snap at our partners, and give up on difficult tasks at work. So in order to live our healthiest, happiest, and most productive lives, experts suggest streamlining them to reduce decision fatigue.
1. Adopt a Uniform
You’ll see I wear only grey or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make
Barack Obama
Perhaps the most shouted-about way to reduce decision fatigue is to adopt a ‘uniform’. This doesn’t have to be a suit and tie – it could just be a pair of jeans and white t-shirt. So long as it’s the same thing every day, it doesn’t matter. By picking one outfit and sticking with it, we reduce the amount of brainpower (and time) needed to get dressed each morning. Obviously you can still wear other clothes for events & occasions but on a day-to-day basis, just sticking with one thing could help you to be more productive with your day.
2. Downsize You Makeup Collection
I used to be one of those women that had a makeup ‘collection’, which meant a whole stack of lipsticks, multiple eyeshadow palettes, and different foundations based on coverage. I decided a while ago to pare things down and ended up getting rid of the majority of it. Now I wear the same makeup every single day. It’s become such a habit that I don’t think twice about it – zero decisions are made because past-Emma has already decided for me.
3. Schedule Your Day
Schedule your days out at the beginning of the week. That way you know exactly what you’re meant to be doing at any given time and don’t have to make decisions about how you spend your day.
4. Develop Habits
One of the very best ways to reduce decision fatigue is to develop habits. When we do something at the same time in the same way every day, our brain goes into autopilot mode. Normally when we undertake a task, the prefrontal cortex communicates with the striatum, which sends signals to enact the behaviour. Over time, input from the prefrontal cortex fades and we’re able to carry out the movement without thinking about it. So the more we create habits, the less decisions we have to make about our behaviour. You can develop habits with anything you like – from what you have for breakfast to what classes you take at the gym!
5. Meal Prep
Another way to reduce decision fatigue is by meal prepping. Isn’t it always the way that, despite the thousands of recipes in the world, when it comes to dinner time, we just can’t think of anything we’d like to eat. By meal prepping once at the weekend, you can create all of your meals for the week and take out a major decision making process from your daily life.
6. Have a Shopping List
Food doesn’t just leave us fatigued when making it, it’s also a major brain drain when we’re buying it. Nowadays, we’re blessed with loads of choice in the supermarkets, which can make the food shop a heavy decision-making activity. Going in armed with a shopping list means that we don’t need to browse all of the products on offer. Instead we can pick up exactly what we need and get going. This is also a great money saver!
7. Say No to Anything That’s Not On Your List
My final way to reduce decision fatigue is to stick to your to-do list. Write out a realistic list of what you want to get done for the day and stick to it. That way you won’t be constantly flicking from task to task or trying to get things done whilst your brain is filled with other thoughts. You won’t need to quickly decide which job to prioritise because you’ll already have a plan laid out for you.
