Get psyched!
AKA, ‘WHYYOU SHOULD MAKE THE HARD DECISIONS EARLY IN THE DAY’.
SORE MUSCLES ARE an indication of excessive physical strain, but what happens when your brain is overworked? It may not be a muscle, but the brain has its limits, too. If you make decisions at work or at home all day, every day, you could end up suffering from decision fatigue — a psychological condition that will increasingly make it hard for you to produce rational, well thought-out conclusions. Decision fatigue can cause your brain to shut down, so to speak, leading to irrational behaviour, which, in turn, could bring a world of trouble affecting both your personal and professional life.
SIGNS OF DECISION FATIGUE
Watching decision fatigue take its toll on someone else is easy — you’ll find the quality of decisions deteriorating as the day progresses, their behaviour changing along the way — but identifying it in yourself can be hard, unless you know what to look for.
If you find that you can resolve a certain situation but are struggling to settle another one immediately after, chances are you’re suffering from decision fatigue. Even simple choices can prove to be overwhelming when your brain is tired. For example, if you’re having a hard time choosing an outfit to wear or trying to decide what groceries to buy at the shops (if you haven’t already come armed with a list), your brain probably needs a rest. Have you ever found it hard to exert your willpower to get something done? Or just gave up and did nothing when faced with a decision? That’s may be because you’re suffering from decision fatigue, causing you to lose self-control.
Decision fatigue also leads to impulse buying, especially at the supermarket. Market specialists understand that shopping can be a frustrating experience when there are too many brands of the same product available for similar prices, hence the placement of sugary snacks and magazines near the checkouts. When the brain is tired, chances are shoppers will reach for the chocolate or that glossy magazine without actually thinking about it.
DEALING WITH DECISION FATIGUE
There are things you can do to steer clear of decision fatigue, and the best thing to do is to keep things simple. Try not to over-complicate options so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Some of the world’s rich and famous — Steve Jobs was an excellent example — choose similar clothing each morning just so they can reduce the number of decisions they have to make each day. Minimalism is the way to go — be it at home, shopping, at a restaurant or at work. Going minimalist doesn’t always work, though, such as at work. During those times, it’s best to keep choices to a certain limit. Having two or three options to choose from should allow you, and your colleagues, to work through the situation logically and come to a rational decision that works for all.
Another thing you can do is try to get done with all your decision making in the morning. After a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast, your brain is fresh and your energy level is at its highest — that’s a great time to get all the heavy thinking done and dusted.
Distractions can be tiresome, as well. They just get in the way and complicate matters that would otherwise be simple. If you’re juggling multiple tasks, don’t try to deal with them all at once. Make a to-do list and go through them one at a time. Keep your phone face-down so notifications aren’t going to trouble you until you take a break.
And, lastly, don’t aim for perfectionism. Yes, we understand that it’s important to make the best decision possible, but sometimes getting something actually ‘done’ is far more important than it being 100% straight off the bat. As the saying goes, “Good enough is good enough.”