In the modern day and age where human life is busy, human brain is obliged to make hundreds of decisions daily, some trivial such as what to possess or what to eat and more complex decisions such as academic, career, and emotional. The result of this relentless pressure is a phenomenon that is less appreciated but growing in number, which is called decision fatigue.
The depletion of cognitive resources of the brain following a long period of making decisions is what leads to decision fatigue. The decline in mental energy is accompanied by deterioration in judgment, decrease in the level of impulse control and inability to consider consequences. This usually leads to inadequate decision making, procrastination, irritability, mental fatigue and making no decisions at all.
Neuroscientifically, the process of making decisions is highly dependent on prefrontal cortex that takes care of attention, self-control and reasoning. This is overexerted through continuous stimulation, multitasking, bombardment, and information overload, causing cognitive burnout. The combination of the effect with chronic stress and sleep deprivation raises cortisol levels and decreases mental flexibility.
Decision fatigue is not only disabling to productivity, but also health. Individuals who are subjected to it tend to have poor food habits, miss workouts, over screen time, postpone medical decision-making, or think shortcuts instead of making reasoned decisions. Such a load of the mind may bring with time anxiety, burnout and emotional numbness.
One possible solution to lessening decision fatigue is to simplify routines, make superfluous choices less frequent, make tasks a priority, get enough sleep, and establish formal routines that would ease decision fatigue. Insuring that mental vigor is not wasted: this is neurological self-defence.
Do you get mentally exhausted with everyday decision making, or have you learned how to minimise cognitive overload?
MBH/PS