Save energy by switching to simple decision-making habits every day

Decision-making habits like establishing and sticking to daily routines and planning ahead of time can help you avoid the brain drain that arises from choice overload . Using digital selection and productivity tools can also help.

You’d want to implement these strategies as early as today, as letting yourself feel constantly overloaded with choices can lead to chronic stress. Unfortunately, the longer you feel stressed, the more likely your health can suffer in the short and long term.

As the American Institute of Stress explains, chronic stress adversely impacts many of the body’s processes, organs, and systems, from sleep to the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, and reproductive systems .

What Is Choice Overload?

Choice overload is when you experience the psychological phenomenon of feeling stressed, overwhelmed, even paralyzed whenever you face too many options . It’s a common scenario and situation many people face, considering the immense number of decisions they have to make.

The international organization Global Council for Behavioral Science says that the average adult makes around 35,000 decisions daily . Such a figure highlights the importance of combating choice overload and making it a top wellness priority, as the fewer choices you have to make, the less stress you’ll likely feel, and the less mental energy you’ll expend.

Is Choice Overload the Same as Decision Fatigue?

No. Choice overload differs from decision fatigue, although the two share a very close relationship.

Decision fatigue is the resulting:

Mental, cognitive, and emotional wear and tear you may experience if you constantly face choice overload

Exhausted feeling after a day of making thousands of decisions, compounded by having so many different options

Deterioration of decision quality

You can think of choice overload as a trigger for decision fatigue. Since it occurs as a result of having too many choices, you feel overwhelmed, ultimately leading to you getting so tired, particularly if you have to make so many decisions with loads of options.

What Decision-Making Habits Can Help You Save Energy and Avoid Brain Drain From Choice Overload?

People constantly under stress, whether it’s due to choice overload, decision fatigue, or never-ending environmental stimulation, can be more susceptible to physical and mental burnout , even breakdowns. Online digital health publication Medical Daily even notes that having too many decisions and decision fatigue can lead to anxiety and reduced emotional resilience .

Prevent or reduce your risk of experiencing those brain drain moments by incorporating these decision-making habits to help make your life easier with simple choices.

Savvy Routine Building

Establish and stick to daily routines, which are regular, fixed ways and schedules of doing things. They can help with energy preservation and combat choice overload, as you’ve already decided what to do.

With a set routine, you no longer have to burden yourself with making selections on the spot. Instead, you go through each day with the purpose and intention of fulfilling your “itinerary.”

Planning Ahead of Time

Planning ahead of time is a core, fixed element of your routine, but the things you plan for are not constant and can change, depending on the task.

An example is a routine that includes the following as “constant” components:

Preparing work outfits the night before

Grocery shopping every Friday afternoon

Meal preparation every Saturday

Think of the above as your routine’s baseline habits, which don’t change. However, the elements behind each of them do. You need different work outfits, buy different things at the grocery, and prepare various meals.

Planning for the shifting elements ahead of time can, therefore, help minimize the likelihood of choice overload. You can, for example, decide each workday’s outfit ahead of time, so that you know exactly what to prepare the night before.

Another tactic is to decide what meals to prepare before you shop. Create a list beforehand, including the ingredients, so that on shopping day, you can go shopping purposefully and avoid impulse purchases.

Using Digital Selection and Productivity Tools

During times when you don’t want to stress yourself out when making a minor decision (e.g., whether to make your own pizza or try a new recipe), consider gamifying things by using an online yes/no decision wheel .

In this scenario, you’d limit your options and avoid choice overload by asking, “Should I make my own pizza?” If the wheel comes up with a no, then your final move would be to try the new dish.

You can also use productivity tools that help reduce choice overload through reminders. An example is using an app that lets you make to-do lists and remind you of the things you’ve already decided on (e.g., the exact clothes to wear to work each day of the following week).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Decision Fatigue a Sign of ADHD?

No. Decision fatigue isn’t a formal diagnostic symptom of ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). Some people with ADHD, however, may be more prone to it as a result of the underlying differences in their brain and mental functions.

ADHD can amplify decision fatigue, as this condition can make maintaining attention difficult while also causing executive dysfunction and increased impulsivity. Everyday decisions can therefore be more challenging and taxing to make in individuals with ADHD.

What Are the Consequences of Allowing Oneself to Constantly Face Choice Overload?

From physical and mental breakdowns to anxiety and diminished coping capacity, these are some of the consequences of constantly facing choice overload.

Your brain may also begin to regard decision-making as more of a chore instead of an opportunity, even for things that should give you a sense of happiness or excitement.

An example is planning a holiday that should be a way for you to relax, have fun, and spend quality time with your loved ones. If you always deal with choice overload, you risk making impulsive decisions you’ll later regret.

Stop Choice Overload From Draining Your Brain

Choice overload may not be completely preventable, but there are many things you can do to manage it better and reduce its frequency, including establishing and sticking to routines and planning ahead of time. Using tools like decision wheels and productivity apps can also help limit your options and prevent decision fatigue.

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