Ever felt overwhelmed and exhausted to the point where you just want to do nothing or lose yourself to mindless scrolling on your phone or watching a show so you don't have to make decisions? You might be experiencing decision fatigue. Research tells us that we make tens of thousands of decisions per day. In fact, the number is somewhere around 35,000 decisions per day for the average adult. That's a lot of decisions! It doesn't help that we are confronted with a mind boggling number of choices in our day to day lives. Think about how many different shows there are on streaming platforms to choose from. How many different choices of food do you have when you go to the grocery store? How many different decisions do you have to make on a daily basis at work? How many different songs are out there for you to listen to while you work out? How many books are there to read? What drink do you want at Starbucks, and oh by the way what type of milk do you prefer? I'm exhausted just reading back the last few sentences. The availability of so many different options might initially seem awesome because its great to have options, right? Maybe, but having to make so many different decisions throughout the day actually wears down our ability to make good decisions as the day progresses. This is what we call decision fatigue.
Why am I talking about this? My job requires me to make quite a few decisions throughout the day (although not quite as many as the captain). Lately, I've been trying to reduce the number of decisions that I make throughout the day so that my ability to make decisions remains stronger throughout the day. This holds especially true when things don't go as planned during a routine flight; I need to make sure my mind is clear and able to make decisions because I've got a plane full of people behind me.
Reducing Decisions
Regardless of how insignificant a decision may seem, having to make that decision still has a negative effect on our decision making as the day progresses. Choosing what to wear in the morning or what to eat for lunch may seem insignificant, but those choices still contribute to a decline in decision making throughout the day. Heck, even choosing whether or not to read this article was a decision! You might even get to the point where you're so overwhelmed by having to make a decision that you avoid it entirely instead. Thankfully, I can tell you that it is possible to reduce the number of decisions that we make throughout the day. This frees up more brain power so that we may tackle those decisions that hold more weight whether they're financial, social, or something else.
Routines
One of the best ways to reduce decision making is the creation of a routine. For example, I pretty much do everything the same way each morning when I'm out on a trip. I wake up and get ready, and then I make my coffee and breakfast and pack my bags. I set everything out that I need the night before so I don't have much to think about as well. The way I pack is a routine in and of itself; I pretty much take the same assortment of clothing with me on every trip. It is also minimal enough to where I don't hardly need to make any decisions about what to wear if I go out with my crew or go to the gym. Having to wear a uniform also helps because I don't need to think about what to wear to work. In fact, the only big decision I really make about my uniform is weather dependent, and I make that decision before I even leave my house. The beauty of a routine is it becomes a habit, and eventually you're just going to do it on autopilot and not have to think much about it. This will free up some mental energy.
Other Strategies to Consider
We obviously can't avoid making decisions entirely during the day, so one good way is to make sure that wherever possible, the decisions that matter the most are handled at strategic times throughout the day. This might be in the morning when you are freshly rested after a good night's sleep, or right after eating a meal. I find that working out gives me a pretty good recharge on energy which means that I'm in a good place to make big decisions should any arise.
Making lists can help with reducing decisions. For example, I generally make a list when I make a big grocery run. That way I know exactly what I need before I head out, and I can just focus on grabbing those items and finishing my shopping trip. As a bonus, this is also particularly useful for those days when you wind up at the grocery store while you're hungry as well!
You also can limit the number of commitments that you take on at any given time, whether they be work related or personal. Commitments often come with decisions, and most of us these days take on too much and rob ourselves of the ability to relax. Don't be afraid to say no to that extra project or get together this week!
Automate as much as possible in your day to day life. This could be anything from payments on bills to investing, or even wearing the same thing every day. Steve Jobs was famous for always wearing his black turtle necks and blue jeans, and he did this because he never had to decide what to wear. It may seem insignificant, but it frees up a little bit of that mental energy for bigger tasks. I pretty much buy the same jeans, and most of my T-shirts are the same for this reason.
Food prep is one of my favorite ways to cut down on decisions. Sure, I have to decide what to make, but if I've got a batch of juices in my freezer then all I have to do is put one in the fridge to thaw each night and I don't have to think about where some of my fruits and veggies are coming from. Or, if I've just made a batch of food in the Crock pot, all I have to do is freeze some portions and I'm all set to go on dinners for a couple nights. These days I've also been enjoying breakfast burritos in the mornings. I make about 10 at a time and freeze them all for consumption in the mornings that I'm home.
There's quite a bit on decision fatigue all over the interwebs, but some of my favorite videos were made by Ronald Banks and Matt D'Avella. In general, the fewer decisions you can make each day, the more energy you will have during the day for the decisions that matter. Look I even just saved you from a potentially overwhelming decision! Instead of having you Google search "decision fatigue" only to find a gazillion videos on it, I just gave you two great videos to start with.
Notes
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