Decisions, decisions, decisions. All-day long we make decisions: what to wear, what to eat, which work task to tackle first, when to exercise, what TV show to watch, etc. According to Psychology Today, the average adult makes 35,000 decisions a day. Yikes!
You may not realize it, but making a decision takes quite a bit of mental energy — and too many decisions can lead to something called decision fatigue.
(This is why so often at the end of the day it takes forever to decide what you want to eat for dinner or watch on TV!)
The bad thing about decision fatigue is that when we get burnt out making minor choices, we tend to make hasty and not-so-great decisions regarding things that really matter — like our career path or whether our current relationship is really working for us.
So how can you minimize decision fatigue and free up your mind for the choices that truly matter? Here are three easy ways:
1. Create routines.
For daily decisions — like what you’re going to wear, eat, do for exercise, etc. try and stick to the same things as much as possible.
Jeans and a blouse? Salad and sandwich for lunch? Morning walk? Rinse and repeat.
Now of course, if choosing an outfit or fixing a fun lunch is the highlight of your day, go for it. But if it’s not that important, then come up with a rotation of outfits, meals, and exercises and cycle through them.
2. Set your schedule.
Instead of deciding throughout the day what tasks you’ll work on, create a schedule the night before so you wake up on a mission. This way you can easily move from project to project without pausing to decide on what to do next.
Make sure to build in time for breaks, so you don’t even need to decide about those. 🙂
3. Let someone else take the wheel.
Whether it’s letting your partner pick your Friday night takeout spot, or joining a book club so you never have to decide what to read next, give your brain a break and find spots in your life where you’re OK going with the flow.
4. Set a limit on browsing.
When it comes to buying online, there are so many options it can feel like your brain’s going to explode! Instead of scrolling through all 100 pages of search results for a birthday card or new vacuum, set a time or page limit and make yourself pick something within those limits.
You can also rely on review sites or blogs you read and trust to point you in the right direction.
While it may feel like you’re slacking if you don’t come up with a gorgeous outfit every morning or spend days searching for the perfect new ottoman, trust us — the less mental energy you spend on little decisions, the easier it will be to make those BIG decisions.
You’re freeing up space in your mind for bigger thoughts and a happier brain — and what could be better than that?!
Wishing you an easy and relaxed weekend!
XO
Quote du jour
“Indecision is a decision.” — Anonymous
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