6 Steps To Help You Avoid Decision Fatigue

Decision fatigue makes people reckless in making decisions. This could either prompt them to act impulsively or, worse, become indecisive. Whichever way, making an important decision after a series of trivial decisions could create bigger problems. Luckily, here are 6 ways to combat decision fatigue, keep your willpower fresh, and boost your productivity every single day.

1. Make Fewer Decisions

Reducing the number of decisions you make in a day is one of the most effective ways to reduce decision fatigue. Establish daily routines that help you minimize and simplify your choices by putting certain decisions on autopilot. For example, you could set a time to sleep and wake-up, have established outfits you rotate each week, have specific days and time you exercise, use automatic bill pay for regular bills, etc. Whatever your preferences are, make a routine and stick to it. With time, this will teach you how to conserve your will power, and give you self-control.

2. Delegate Decisions

Delegating decision making is similar to delegating tasks. Not only does this act take the burden of the need to micromanage others off your shoulders, but it also makes those you transfer the decision-making process believe that you trust them. As a manager, try to delegate some decisions to your employees. Or, if you’re married, consider delegating some decision-making to your children, spouse, or other family members.

3. Make Big Decisions In The Morning

The time of the day affects our judgment and ability to make the right decisions. The best time most people make accurate and thoughtful decisions is in the morning. The slope of decision-making becomes steeper as the day rolls by. By noon, most people already start making riskier irrational decisions. So do you have a decision that requires careful consideration? Make it in the morning!

4. Limit Your Options

When you have too many choices from which to choose from, the chances are that you’ll become mentally stressed out. For example, consider people who “shop around” to get the “best deal.” Although, in the end, they may save a few dollars, they had emotions ranging from anxiety to feeling overwhelmed. Choosing a particular place where you shop, the brands you buy, etc., could take a lot of burden off your shoulders. Don’t let trivial things drain your energy or overload your brain.

5. Simplify your life

So many activities, involvements, hobbies, volunteering, and the likes bogging you down? Simplify your life by cutting things that aren’t impotent! You needn’t involve yourself in so many activities and hobbies that you become overwhelmed. Have only a few tasks that you engage in because you’ll have to make fewer decisions.

6. Stop Wallowing in Regret

Many times, we get into the trap of trying to delay making decisions because we feel our choices must be “perfect.” Due to the fear of making the “wrong” choices, many people stall decision making so much so that they begin to make those wrong choices they tried to avoid. If you’ve made a wrong decision, learn from your mistakes, and move on. Save yourself from mental stress by focusing on making better decisions. Stop wallowing in the regret of the past.

CONCLUSION

Congratulations! Now you have one less decision to worry about, or to state it more accurately, thousands of decisions. Never forget that your highest priority should be to protect your ability to prioritize. Only use your brainpower on things that you consider essential. The rest will do well on autopilot!