166 - Friday Fix: How to Avoid Decision Fatigue

The Verywell Mind Podcast

Dotdash Media Inc.

Health & Fitness, Self-improvement, Mental Health, Education

5 • 703 Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2022

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Do you ever feel like your brain can’t possibly make one more decision? Do simple choices feel overwhelming sometimes? If so, you might be experiencing decision fatigue. It’s a real problem that can affect all of us. Our decision-making mental muscles only have so much energy. And when those reserves are depleted, decision-making can go downhill fast. For some people, decision fatigue causes them to make poor choices. For others, the weariness makes it nearly impossible to decide on anything at all. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to combat decision fatigue. A few simple changes to the way you operate your day can make a big difference to your brainpower. In today’s episode, I share the pitfalls of decision fatigue and the five things you can do to avoid it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Very Well Mind podcast. We've interviewed over 100 authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and others to help you learn strategies to care for your mental health.
0:22.9	This episode is hosted by psychotherapist and bestselling author Amy Morin. Now let's get into the episode.
0:45.5	Okay. You're listening to the Friday fix.
0:52.7	Every Friday, I share a quick mental strength strategy that can help fix the thoughts, feelings, and actions that can hold you back in life.
0:54.9	Why are judges more likely to deny parole later in the day? And why are doctors more likely to prescribe unnecessary
1:00.1	antibiotics in the afternoons? It's because of decision fatigue. After making lots of choices
1:06.9	all morning long, they get worn out. Judges defer to the safer and easier decision, which is to
1:13.0	deny parole. And doctors hand over a prescription to move their appointments along. It's not just a
1:19.2	problem, though, that doctors and judges experience. We all experience decision fatigue.
1:24.8	A feeling that you get when you're just exhausted by all those choices
1:28.4	that you made all day, and it's not just your imagination that you're using a lot of brain
1:32.4	power making decisions. Studies estimate that the average American adult makes 35,000 decisions
1:39.5	every single day. Many of those decisions aren't too taxing on your brain, like when to reach for
1:46.1	another sip of water or when to click on the next unread email. But you might also spend a lot of
1:51.6	energy weighing big decisions, like whether to apply for a new job. All of those choices, though,
1:57.4	both the big ones and the small ones, take a toll on you and fatigue your
2:01.4	mental muscles. Studies have found that making too many decisions or having too many options
2:06.8	leads to mental overload. Just like our physical muscles get tired when we're exerting a lot of
2:12.0	physical energy. Our brains get tired when we're exerting a lot of mental energy. Your decision-making muscles get worn out.
2:19.6	Making too many decisions causes you to feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, and tired.
2:24.8	We've all experienced this.
2:26.6	Maybe at the end of your workday, your partner asks what you want for dinner,
	...

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