Decision Fatigue: Why Too Many Choices Exhaust Your Mind

In psychology, decision fatigue refers to the state of mental exhaustion that follows prolonged periods of decision-making. Because of this phenomenon, people tend to make more impulsive, lower-quality decisions as the day progresses and their cognitive resources deplete.

Knowing how and why this happens is, therefore, key to preserving your cognitive resources and making effective decisions. So, keep reading to learn what decision fatigue is, how it manifests, and how to prevent and reduce it.

What Is Decision Fatigue?

Coined by social psychologist Dr. Roy Baumeister, decision fatigue is a psychological phenomenon in which the quality of decisions deteriorates after prolonged decision-making periods.

Simply put, this concept explains why decision-making can feel exhausting, and why people tend to make more effective choices in the morning than in the evening.

The main cause of decision fatigue is repeated or prolonged decision-making, which draws from a limited pool of cognitive resources. As these resources deplete, the brain loses the ability to effectively process information, prioritize tasks, hold attention, and, as a result, make sound decisions.

Therefore, decision fatigue isn’t simply laziness; it is a form of cognitive overload that can affect anyone, impairing judgment, impulse control, and self-regulation. Our mental capacity has limits, and once we reach them, we become too mentally exhausted to perform at our best and make effective decisions.

The Psychology Behind Decision Fatigue

The main concepts that explain the psychology behind decision fatigue and its effects are cognitive load and mental energy, willpower and ego depletion, and emotional regulation and stress.

Let’s dissect them one by one:

Cognitive Load and Mental Energy

In psychology, cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort and resources required to process information. Meanwhile, mental energy is the mind's capacity to perform cognitive tasks, including decision-making. The psychology behind decision fatigue is rooted in the idea that the brain uses mental energy, which is a limited resource, with each decision.

When this energy is depleted, our ability to focus and evaluate options weakens. Tasks with a high cognitive load, such as making strategic choices or juggling multiple options, require more mental energy, increasing the chances of decision fatigue.

Willpower, Self-Control, and Ego Depletion

Willpower and self-control are critical to thoughtful decision-making, as they help us resist impulses and prioritize delayed gratification over immediate rewards.

However, these abilities are also limited resources; therefore, repeated decision-making can deplete self-control. This phenomenon is known as ego depletion, which makes us more likely to make impulsive decisions or avoid them altogether.

Emotional Regulation and Stress

Emotional regulation is a form of self-control and, as such, it is also a limited resource the brain draws on when making decisions. Each decision that we make, especially under pressure or stress, requires effort to think objectively and manage frustration, impatience, and other emotions.

The more decisions you make, the more this resource depletes, leading to stress. This explains why decision fatigue can cause people to become irritated and blow small problems and setbacks out of proportion.

5 Signs and Symptoms of Decision Fatigue

The main signs and symptoms of decision fatigue are irritability, brain fog, impulsivity, decision avoidance, and increased susceptibility to decision-making biases.

Let’s discuss them in greater depth:

#1. Irritability

Since cognitive overload impairs your ability to regulate emotions, decision fatigue often manifests as irritability, restlessness, frustration, and anger. As such, you may find that even small inconveniences and minor disagreements lead to disproportionate agitation after a period of prolonged decision-making.

A study done by Meissner et al. found that anger reduces decision quality in strategic decision-making. Therefore, negative emotions can further hinder your decision-making process, which only intensifies frustration.

#2. Brain Fog

Brain fog, or the clouding of consciousness, is a group of symptoms that affect your ability to take in and process information. These symptoms usually include forgetfulness, confusion, reduced mental clarity, and difficulty concentrating, all of which can happen as decision fatigue depletes your cognitive resources.

When you’re experiencing brain fog, even the simplest cognitive tasks may seem overwhelming. You might find it difficult to prioritize tasks, weigh your options, and make timely decisions. As such, you may resort to the easiest option, even if it’s suboptimal.

Prolonged brain fog can also increase mistakes and fuel frustration or self-doubt, especially when you feel you’re not performing at your usual mental capacity.

#3. Impulsivity

Impulsivity is a common symptom of decision fatigue. As your brain grows tired of continuous decision-making, your ability to make decisions thoughtfully weakens, and so does your impulse control.

As a result, decision fatigue can cause you to prioritize short-term wins over long-term rewards. You may opt for quick fixes or engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as overeating or impulsive spending.

However, repeated impulsive decisions only reinforce the cycle of decision fatigue. The more you struggle to evaluate the consequences of your actions and resort to the fastest, easiest options to reduce mental strain, the more likely you are to fall prey to stress and regret.

#4. Decision Avoidance

Decision avoidance is a tell-tale sign of decision-making fatigue. After making too many decisions, you may find it difficult to force yourself to make more because of mental overwhelm. Procrastination, in this case, serves as the brain’s attempt to get rest and relief.

If you’re experiencing decision fatigue, you may eventually ignore important decisions or delegate them to others, even if they affect you personally. As you postpone decision-making, you may also feel a sense of loss of control. Over time, decision avoidance can lead to missed opportunities and create anxiety around decision-making.

#5. Increased Susceptibility to Decision-Making Biases

Decision fatigue often manifests as increased reliance on cognitive biases, as these mental shortcuts require less effort and resources than careful analysis.

You may, for example, give in to anchoring bias, which can cause you to become heavily influenced by the first piece of information you encounter when making decisions. Alternatively, you may fall prey to confirmation bias, favoring options that seem familiar and align with your existing beliefs.

These cognitive biases can undermine critical thinking and objectivity, leading to poor decision-making and lower-quality outcomes.

Next, let’s see some real-life examples of decision fatigue.

Real-Life Examples of Decision Fatigue

Here are some real-life examples of decision fatigue at work:

• An employee makes careless mistakes in reports due to mental exhaustion.
• A coworker automatically agrees to your requests or suggestions to avoid further discussion.
• After a long day of attending meetings and making decisions, a manager opts for routine solutions instead of exploring more creative options.

Below are some examples of what decision fatigue may look like in relationships:

• Your partner avoids having serious conversations about important decisions after an exhausting week at work.
• A significant other becomes disproportionally irritated upon being asked, “What would you like to have for dinner tonight?”
• You let your partner call the shots, even when you don’t fully agree with their decisions, as you’re too mentally exhausted to explore your options.

And here are more examples that illustrate how decision fatigue may manifest in daily life:

• You’re too tired of deciding what to cook, so you order takeout.
• You mindlessly scroll on your phone to avoid making important decisions.
• When shopping, you choose a familiar brand because it’s simpler than evaluating your options.
• You resort to ignoring physical symptoms because the thought of researching reputable doctors in your area makes you feel overwhelmed.
• Even though you want to become more physically active, you skip workouts altogether because deciding when or how to exercise feels mentally taxing.

Now that you know what decision fatigue looks like in real life, let’s discuss how it differs from burnout and mental fatigue.

Decision Fatigue vs. Burnout vs. Mental Fatigue

Decision fatigue, burnout, and mental fatigue have some overlapping symptoms, such as irritability, poor concentration, and mental exhaustion, yet these are distinct conditions. They mainly differ in terms of their underlying causes.

While decision fatigue stems from making too many choices, mental fatigue primarily results from prolonged cognitive effort. Meanwhile, burnout typically arises from ongoing stress, usually, but not necessarily, in the workplace.

Mental fatigue is a sign of burnout, but it can also occur in people who are not struggling with this condition. Decision fatigue can be regarded as a form of mental fatigue, but the latter can also stem from prolonged cognitive activities unrelated to decision-making. These may include problem-solving, intense studying, multitasking, and so forth.

The table below illustrates the key differences and similarities between decision fatigue, burnout, and mental fatigue in greater detail:

With this in mind, let’s discuss the effects of decision fatigue on mental health.

How Decision Fatigue Affects Mental Health

Decision fatigue affects mental health negatively, as it makes you more prone to stress, irritability, and mood swings. This is because mental exhaustion hinders your ability to regulate emotions, making it difficult to handle everyday problems. Even small choices, such as what to wear or what to eat, can feel overwhelming, leading to a sense of helplessness.

Since decision fatigue also impacts your cognitive function, making you more prone to confusion and trouble concentrating, it can increase the likelihood of mistakes and poor decisions. This can affect your productivity, reduce motivation, and further increase stress, leading to self-doubt, self-criticism, and self-esteem issues.

If left unaddressed, decision fatigue can affect your mental and emotional well-being in ways that can take a significant toll on your interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for people struggling with it to make rash decisions that may affect their loved ones or snap at them over minor issues. This can lead to misunderstandings and a loss of trust and emotional safety.

Furthermore, decision fatigue can weaken your emotional resilience and exacerbate any mental health issues you’re dealing with, such as depression.

Even in otherwise healthy individuals, the accumulation of stress caused by this condition can lead to serious mental health concerns, such as anxiety. Therefore, it’s of utmost importance to address it as soon as the first signs appear.

How to Reduce Decision Fatigue: 4 Proven Tips

Below are four proven tips for reducing and preventing decision fatigue:

• Take a break. Not all decisions are urgent; in fact, most aren’t, even if we pressure ourselves into making them as soon as possible. Pressing pause on a decision can help you replenish your mental resources, clear your mind, and see it from a different perspective, reducing stress and promoting thoughtful decision-making.
• Simplify daily choices. Automating daily choices, such as outfits, meals, and workouts, can help you preserve your mental energy for more important decisions. After all, there’s a reason why Steve Jobs was known for wearing the same black turtleneck, jeans, and sneakers every single day!
• Let go of perfectionism. Looking for the perfect option each and every time is a surefire way to exhaust your mind. So, instead of seeking perfection and exploring all alternatives, limit your options and choose one that sounds good enough.
• Time your decisions wisely. For the best outcome, pay attention to timing when making important decisions. Refrain from making such decisions when you’re tired, as it can lead to poor decisions and further drain you. You can never go wrong with making critical choices in the first half of the day, when your energy and focus are at their peak.

Now, let’s explore the connection between decision fatigue and personality.

Decision Fatigue and Personality: Are Some Enneagram Types More Prone to It?

While no Enneagram type is immune to decision fatigue, some are more prone to it than others due to the combination of their core motivations and behavioral patterns.

Generally speaking, types that are susceptible to perfectionism and overthinking are most likely to experience cognitive overload and, by extension, decision fatigue. Nonetheless, even carefree Sevens can feel drained after prolonged decision-making. Still, they usually conserve more mental energy since they aren’t preoccupied with the idea of making the right choice.

That said, decision fatigue most commonly occurs in the following Enneagram personality types:

Enneagram 1

The Enneagram 1 strives for perfection and moral correctness in everything they do, and their high standards can prolong their decision-making process. Ones weigh every option, evaluating it against their ideals to ensure they make the right choice and avoid mistakes. Because of this, even minor decisions can feel heavy for this type, increasing the risk of decision fatigue.

Enneagram 5

Type 5 is highly analytical, which is also evident in their decision-making process. Fives often postpone decisions until they have enough information, excessively gathering data and trying to predict every possible outcome. While thoroughness, curiosity, and critical thinking are among their greatest strengths, they also drain their mental energy.

Enneagram 6

Enneagram 6 focuses heavily on safety and security. Although this makes Sixes excellent at risk assessment, it also makes them prone to doubt, worry, and “what-if” thoughts that prolong their decision-making and deplete their cognitive resources.

Plus, it’s not uncommon for them to rely on other people’s advice when making decisions. Instead of relieving their mental load, this often only adds to it, especially when they encounter conflicting opinions.

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Key Takeaways

Decision fatigue can affect anyone, so if you’re struggling with it, know you aren’t alone. Instead of forcing yourself to make another choice, you can do yourself a favor by pressing pause and prioritizing self-careuntil your mental resources replenish.

On this note, let’s summarize what we covered today:

• Decision fatigue occurs because our brain draws on limited cognitive resources, such as mental energy, willpower, and emotional regulation, when making choices.
• Some signs of this phenomenon include brain fog, irritability, impulsivity, and decision avoidance.
• While all Enneagram types can experience decision fatigue, Ones, Fives, and Sixes are most susceptible because they tend to overanalyze their options.

Decision Fatigue FAQ

#1. Is decision fatigue a symptom of ADHD?

Decision fatigue isn’t a diagnostic symptom of ADHD, but people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may be more prone to it. This is because impulsivity, difficulty focusing, procrastination, forgetfulness, and other symptoms of this condition can make repeated decision-making particularly challenging and draining, leading to mental exhaustion.

#2. Why do I feel worse making decisions later in the day?

You feel worse making decisions later in the day because your cognitive resources get depleted with every decision and task. Therefore, most people feel most alert and focused in the morning and, as the day progresses, their ability to process information and weigh options declines.

#3. Is decision fatigue real or just a myth?

Decision fatigue is real, and it has been studied by numerous psychologists. For example, a study by Polman and Vohs found that making decisions for others is more enjoyable and less depleting than making decisions for yourself, especially among independent, rather than interdependent, decision-makers.