Managing Decision Fatigue

ABC of Mental Health

Author

Shiromi Chaturvedi
January 23, 2025

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the ABC of Mental Health, your partner in the journey to better mental health—one newsletter at a time. This week’s theme is Managing Decision Fatigue, a common struggle in our fast-paced lives. We bring this to your inbox this Thursday to help you make clearer, stress-free choices.

One relevant recommendation:

Simplify Your Choices: Decision fatigue can make even small decisions feel overwhelming. A simple way to reduce it? Streamline your daily choices! Plan your meals for the week in advance, lay out your clothes the night before, or create a go-to morning routine that sets a positive tone for the day.

Two Quotes on Being True to Yourself and Saying No:

John C. Maxwell, a leadership expert and author, emphasises the importance of prioritising decisions:

"Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you."

Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice, sheds light on how too many options can drain our mental energy:

"Learning to embrace voluntary constraints on our freedom of choice can be a source of liberation."

Three TherapyShorts from TST

  1. Prioritizing Important Decisions: Research shows that we have a limited amount of mental energy for decision-making each day. Save your brainpower for important choices by automating the smaller ones. For instance, if you're struggling with deciding what to wear daily, create a capsule wardrobe with a few versatile options.

  2. Decision-Making Breaks: Your mind needs breaks to reset and stay efficient. Try breaking up your decision-heavy tasks with short mindfulness exercises, deep breathing, or simply stepping away from your screen. A 5-minute walk between meetings can make a world of difference in boosting your clarity.

  3. Learning to Delegate: You don't have to make every decision alone! Delegating decisions to trusted friends, family, or colleagues can help lighten your cognitive load. For example, letting your partner choose dinner plans or allowing a colleague to take the lead on a work project can free up your mental space for what truly matters.

A QUESTION?

What decision do you find most exhausting in your daily life?

Last week we asked you, what makes it hardest for you to say no, and the responses were… *(drumroll please)*

Love and light,

The Social Therapist

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