You’re at your desk, staring at a list of choices you must make.
Respond to those emails now or later?
Delegate that task or tackle it yourself?
As the day wears on, even the smallest decisions start to feel overwhelming, and by the end of it, you’re too drained to choose what to eat for dinner.
This is decision fatigue in action. 😵💫
When even small choices feel monumental, everyday tasks can turn into sources of stress. But the good news? You can take effective steps to combat it.
In this article, we’ll explore practical tips to help you manage decision fatigue, streamline your workflow, and take back control of your workday.
How to Deal with Decision Fatigue at Work: Tips & Examples
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Is Decision Fatigue?
Decision fatigue is the mental exhaustion and reduced ability to make choices that occur after a long session of decision-making. The more decisions you make, the harder each one becomes, leading to poorer choices over time.
Whether it’s what to wear, what to eat, which task to prioritize, or how to respond to an email, every choice chips away at your mental energy. When you’ve made dozens (if not hundreds) of decisions, your brain’s ability to process choices may start to wear down.
This state of mental fatigue occurs because the brain, like a battery, suffers through the depletion of energy with each decision, leaving less capacity for future decisions.
The result? Poorer quality decisions as the day goes on. When your brain is this overwhelmed, it tends to either shut down (leading to procrastination) or make impulsive, poor choices to get the decision over with. This is why individuals who experience decision fatigue are more likely to grab unhealthy snacks or skip the gym after a long workday.
It’s not laziness—it’s your brain simply running on empty.
Decision fatigue examples
These examples show how decision fatigue can make everyday choices seem impossible:
Lunch dilemma 🍽️: You’re standing in front of the fridge, hungry but unable to decide what to eat. Even though there are options, your brain is so worn out from making decisions that you just grab the first thing you see or skip lunch entirely.
Endless emails📧: After a long day, your inbox is full of messages, and deciding which one to tackle first feels too much. So, instead of making a choice, you leave them all for tomorrow.
Team decisions👬: You’re working on a group project, and the team needs your input on a key decision. But after juggling multiple tasks, meetings, and decisions all day, you find yourself saying ‘I don’t know’ or agreeing to whatever the team suggests, even if you’re not fully on board.
Client calls📞: You have several client calls lined up, and by the time the last one comes around, you’re too mentally drained to decide the best approach for the conversation. Instead of being sharp and focused, you find yourself zoning out, struggling to engage in meaningful dialogue.
Bonus: Ever wondered why Steve Jobs always wore the same outfit? It was to avoid decision fatigue. By eliminating small daily choices like what to wear, he saved his mental energy for more important decisions.
What causes decision fatigue?
Decision fatigue is largely driven by the ego depletion effect, where the brain’s self-control and willpower are stretched thin.
As you go through the day making decisions, whether big or small, your mental energy starts wearing out. Each decision requires focus, and over time, your ability to make thoughtful choices weakens.
That’s when decision fatigue sneaks in, leading to impulsive actions, hesitation, or even decision avoidance.
Here are some additional contributing factors:
- High-stakes choices: Complex decisions with significant consequences, like medical decision-making, demand more mental effort, which, in turn, accelerates fatigue
- Stress: Stress increases cognitive load and reduces your ability to focus, making decision-making even more difficult and creating a cycle of worsening stress and poor choices
- Perfectionism: The desire to make every decision perfect adds unnecessary pressure, draining mental energy faster
- Lack of sleep: Sleep deprivation weakens cognitive abilities, making it harder to make sound decisions the next day
Other factors, such as the time of day, blood glucose levels, and physiological fatigue, also influence decision fatigue, further impacting judgment as the day progresses.
What is the difference between decision fatigue and indecisiveness?
While decision fatigue and indecisiveness may seem similar, they stem from different causes.
Decision fatigue occurs when the brain is worn out from making too many choices. It’s like running out of fuel—there’s nothing left to give. It leads to poor or impulsive decisions.
In this case, even usually decisive people can struggle after a long day of decision-making.
Indecisiveness, on the other hand, is more of a personality trait or mental habit. It’s characterized by difficulty choosing between options, often due to overthinking, fear of making the wrong choice, or a lack of confidence.
The consequences of decision fatigue
Decision fatigue can significantly impact many areas of life, potentially leading to a range of negative consequences. Here are some of the most common yet often underestimated ones:
- A reduced ability to make trade-offs: When you’re mentally drained, making trade-offs—choices with both pros and cons—becomes harder. For example, you might feel overwhelmed at a car dealership by financing and upgrade options. Decision fatigue leads you to pick default options or give in to sales tactics like adding unnecessary features
- Impaired self-control: As mental resources deplete, a person’s ability to practice self-regulation weakens. This is why you find it hard to resist that bag of salty chips after a hectic day at work. You’re just too mentally drained to push yourself not to eat it
- Susceptibility to biases: Decision fatigue makes you rely more on mental shortcuts or biases. For instance, if you’ve been evaluating job candidates all day, you might favor the last candidate because they’re fresh in your mind, falling prey to recency bias instead of objective reviews
- A decline in decision quality: When your mental energy runs low, you’re more prone to making impulsive or shortsighted choices (also known as decision exhaustion), whether it’s indulging in unhealthy foods or rushing through important tasks at work
- Reduced productivity: You might find yourself procrastinating, delaying stressful decisions, or making errors simply because you’re mentally exhausted. This can lead to missed deadlines and poor performance
- Strained relationships: Decision fatigue can lead to irritability and frustration, affecting your interactions with family, friends, or colleagues. Constant fatigue makes you less patient, contributing to conflicts and misunderstandings
- Mental and emotional exhaustion: Consistently facing decision fatigue can lead to burnout, characterized by feelings of exhaustion, detachment, and reduced accomplishment, negatively affecting your mental well-being
Understanding your decision-making style and addressing decision fatigue through structured approaches and active self-care can help mitigate these negative impacts.
Did You Know? Our brains use glucose to make decisions 🧠. As glucose levels drop, our ability to make sound decisions declines. This is why we often make poorer choices when we’re tired or hungry.
Summarize this article for me pleaseSigns and Symptoms of Decision Fatigue
Being aware of the signs of decision fatigue can help you manage its impact effectively. Here are key symptoms to watch for:
- Procrastination: Decision fatigue may cause you to delay even simple tasks because your brain feels overloaded. For instance, you might avoid scheduling a meeting because the thought of coordinating times feels too mentally draining
- Impulsive decisions: Instead of carefully thinking things through, you might make quick, impulsive decisions just to get them over with. This can leave you feeling regretful or dissatisfied later on. For instance, you may end up buying something unnecessary or agreeing to take on a task you don’t have the tools to do simply because you didn’t have the mental energy to assess it properly at the time
- Difficulty concentrating: When decision fatigue sets in, focusing on tasks becomes challenging. You might find yourself frequently shifting attention, struggling to complete projects, or even forgetting important details as your mental energy wanes
- Irritability: Decision fatigue can cause increased frustration and irritability. Minor inconveniences or decisions that wouldn’t normally bother you can lead to outbursts of anger or frustration
- Mental exhaustion: You may experience a mental fog where thinking clearly becomes difficult, making the decision-making process feel overwhelming
- Avoidance: To escape the mental strain of decision-making, you may avoid decisions altogether. This can manifest as delaying tasks, sidestepping responsibilities, or delegating choices to others as a way to escape the pressure
- Indecisiveness: Struggling to make choices or frequently changing one’s mind is a common sign of decision fatigue. It manifests as overthinking simple decisions or being unable to settle on a course of action
- Physical discomfort: The stress of tough decision-making can manifest physically, causing symptoms like tension headaches, eye strain, or even nausea and digestive issues
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe Correlation Between Decision Fatigue and ADHD
Decision fatigue can be especially challenging for individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 4.4% of adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD, and the symptoms—like difficulty focusing and impulsivity—can lead to faster mental exhaustion. The constant cognitive overload that comes with managing distractions and tasks throughout the day can make decision fatigue more pronounced.
Research suggests that decision-making deficits in ADHD are often due to suboptimal choices rather than a general tendency to seek risks.
While individuals with ADHD might choose riskier options, it’s usually because these options aren’t fully evaluated, not because they are drawn to risk itself. This underscores the importance of distinguishing between impulsive decisions and poor decision-making.
In fact, a PLOS One study on financial decisions in adults with ADHD found that they are more prone to impulsive purchases and less likely to save for the future. This impulsivity, tied to deficits in executive functions like working memory and cognitive flexibility, can lead to hasty decisions with negative outcomes.
Understanding how ADHD amplifies decision fatigue can help in managing it better. Breaking tasks into smaller steps or using decision aids can offer relief from brain fog, making the process more manageable and less overwhelming.
Bonus: Explore these ADHD-friendly templates to streamline your daily routines, minimize mental strain, and maintain better control over choices.
Summarize this article for me pleaseDecision Fatigue in the Workplace
Over time, mental exhaustion at work affects more than just individual productivity. It can lead to employee overload, which causes mistakes, miscommunication, and lower job satisfaction.
When you experience decision fatigue at work, simple tasks start to feel more difficult. You may struggle to focus, and problem-solving becomes a challenge. As a result, projects take longer to complete, and errors become more frequent.
Worse yet, you may rush through decisions to just ‘get them done,’ only to end up with poor outcomes or missed deadlines. This, in turn, adds to your stress and frustration and compromises your ability to do your job well.
It doesn’t stop at your desk.
Decision fatigue can create communication gaps within your team. You might avoid team decision-making, miss important updates, or fail to share key information—leading to misalignment.
When this mental exhaustion spreads across the team, collaboration suffers, and tensions rise.
On a personal level, decision fatigue can leave you doubting your abilities. You might start to lose interest in your work, question your role, or even feel disengaged. Left unaddressed, this can push you toward burnout or lead to seeking a less demanding position.
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow to Deal with Decision Fatigue at Work?
Decision fatigue at work and in your personal life is something we all face.
From deciding what to wear to prioritizing tasks and making important project decisions, constant choices can drain your mental energy. That’s why it’s important to understand how to fight mental fatigue and recognize the signs of decision overload early.
The good news? With the right strategies—and a little help from tools like ClickUp—you can reduce the impact of decision fatigue and stay on top of things.
Here are eight actionable tips to tackle decision fatigue while keeping your productivity and well-being in check:
1. Set up systems
One of the best ways to deal with decision fatigue is to create systems that simplify repetitive tasks, freeing up mental energy for important decisions.
For instance, using decision-making templates can help you plan weekly meals, so you’re not constantly thinking about what to cook.
ClickUp Automations also streamline your workflow by automating routine tasks.
You can automate moving tasks through stages, assigning team members, and sending project updates without intervening manually. Just set it up and let ClickUp take care of the details, saving you time and effort.
2. Follow a structure
Implement frameworks like a step-by-step decision-making process or the DACI framework, which assigns specific roles: Driver, Approver, Contributor, and Informed. These clear guidelines help streamline decisions, reduce confusion, and lower stress by ensuring everyone knows their role in the process.
These frameworks ensure that everyone is on the same page by defining who is responsible for driving the decision, who needs to approve it, who should contribute ideas, and who needs to be kept informed.
This organized approach makes the decision-making process more efficient and helps prevent misunderstandings and delays, ultimately leading to better and more timely outcomes.
Additionally, integrating these frameworks with tools like ClickUp’s Decision Tree Template can enhance their effectiveness.
This template allows you to map out various choices and visualize potential outcomes, making it easier to see the big picture. It’s great for guiding discussions and determining the best course of action.
ClickUp’s Decision Tree Template also helps you:
- Identify crucial moments that impact your project’s success
- Analyze options and evaluate the risks and rewards of each choice
- Understand your decision-making process better
- Spot potential risks and opportunities easily
- Make informed decisions and base them on solid data and evidence
3. Document processes
To reduce decision fatigue, minimize repetitive choices with ClickUp Docs.
Documenting processes, workflows, and decision-making frameworks cuts down your mental load by providing clear references and historical context. This way, you don’t have to make the same decisions repeatedly.
For example, you may apply ClickUp’s Project Management Decision Log Template to keep track of past decisions so you can refer back to them when similar situations arise.
When evaluating options, ClickUp’s Pros and Cons Whiteboard Template offers an interactive way to compare choices, helping you and your team visualize the advantages and drawbacks effectively.
Further, you can leverage the Decision Making Framework Document Template by ClickUp to establish a clear and organized approach to your decisions.
This template simplifies the process by helping you:
- Weigh the pros and cons of each option effectively
- Prioritize ideas and projects based on their importance
- Reduce bias and ensure objective decisions
By using this structured approach, you’ll make faster, better decisions with less stress.
4. Leverage your team’s strengths
Assign decisions based on your team member’s strengths to make the process smoother.
For example, if someone on your team is a marketing genius, let them make marketing decisions! It’s that simple. This leverages their expertise while lightening your decision-making load.
Use ClickUp’s Assign Comments to involve team members in discussions and gather their insights.
You can create Tasks directly from assigned comments, reducing the time and cognitive effort otherwise needed to track follow-ups and ensuring that every decision is addressed efficiently.
5. Manage mental fatigue and stress effectively
Keep your workload manageable and ensure you have the necessary resources to support decision-making.
ClickUp Dashboards give you an all-in-one view of key metrics, Tasks, and Projects, simplifying decision-making. With real-time insights and customizable widgets, you can easily prioritize and manage Tasks, cutting down on the mental load of handling everything at once.
Moreover, ClickUp Task Priorities help you focus on Tasks based on importance.
With four simple Priority Flags—Urgent, High, Normal, and Low—everyone on your team knows exactly what to focus on, simplifying decision-making and keeping you organized.
This streamlined approach can help minimize the stress and overwhelm of decision fatigue.
6. Streamline workflows
To ease the physical or mental fatigue caused by decision-making and to maintain consistent levels of productivity, you need to simplify your workflows.
Creating a more organized workflow helps combat decision fatigue by bringing structure and clarity to your work and processes. With a well-organized system, you minimize the number of decisions you need to make daily.
Instead of navigating a maze of disjointed tasks, you have a clear, cohesive plan that guides you.
ClickUp Mind Maps are a fantastic tool for achieving this level of organization.
They give you a clear, visual layout where you can map out and connect all your Tasks and Projects. This approach helps you see how everything fits together, turning a complex workflow into something much easier to manage.
7. Take breaks
When decision fatigue kicks in, taking regular breaks is crucial for maintaining clarity and reducing mental exhaustion. Even a short walk outside or a few minutes away from your desk can do wonders for your mind.
ClickUp Time Tracking enables you to manage breaks effectively, ensuring you don’t skip them.
ClickUp Time Tracking has several useful capabilities, including:
- Track time spent: Monitor the time spent on Tasks and breaks, ensuring you’re balancing work and rest efficiently
- Adjust time entries: Add time entries as needed to reflect accurate breaks and work periods, keeping your tracking precise
- Analyze break patterns: Use reporting tools to review how often you take breaks and their impact on your productivity, helping you optimize your work habits
8. Practice self-care
Maintaining good physical and mental health is essential for effective decision-making. Ensure you get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and manage stress.
ClickUp Goals can be a great ally here.
You can set Goals for tracking your sleep or scheduling regular exercise. Monitoring these Goals lets you see how you’re doing and make any needed adjustments.
Keeping up with your health in this way can help reduce fatigue and support better decision-making overall.
Summarize this article for me pleaseTransform Decision Uncertainty into Action with ClickUp
Decision fatigue can drain your energy, cloud your judgment, and impact your well-being. To address this, focus on structuring your decisions, leveraging team strengths, and managing stress effectively.
ClickUp offers powerful tools to support these strategies. Mind Maps help brainstorm and organize ideas, Dashboards keep track of your progress, and Docs facilitate easy documentation.
Together, these features can enhance your decision-making and streamline your workflow.
Sign up to ClickUp and start making smarter, more informed decisions with greater ease and less stress.
Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.