To cope with decision fatigue, first acknowledge it

Have you ever had the experience of feeling overwhelmed and exasperated when someone innocently asks you a simple question? It might be about dinner or plans for the day. It may be about a bigger choice like where to move or a career change. In fact, if you’re in the middle of larger decisions, the smaller ones can often feel like too much. This is called decision fatigue. If you’ve experienced this, you’re not alone.

We often hear adults saying that they feel like there’s so much more pressure on people now than 20 years ago. Do you agree? Humans have so much noise coming toward them today in the information and digital age. While it’s convenient in many ways, our biology just hasn’t caught up to the technology. The ability of the brain to process information and make grounded decisions becomes debilitated when it’s on overload.

When deadlines are involved with decision-making, it can feel much more stressful. So how can you navigate this land mine when it arises? Below are a few strategies.

■ Understand that your brain has a certain amount of cognitive bandwidth for decisions each day. Create space throughout the day to give your brain a break from focus.

■ Give yourself space and grace. The decisions you make will not always be right or timely. This is a part of your humanity.

■ Prioritize the most important decisions for the day and week. Don’t allow other people’s agendas to pressure you into making decisions that you’re not ready or able to make. This creates stress and the brain feels scrambled.

■ Sometimes, when you’re trying to make a good decision, you’ll reach for experts. This can get confusing because many experts disagree. Take in the information, but ultimately, trust yourself to do what you think is best.

■ Do things each day, especially in the morning, to ground yourself. This will give you the best shot each day to feel your best and make good decisions.

For The AJC Angela and Dennis Buttimer