How to Simplify Your Life to Avoid Decision Fatigue

Author: Carrie Kirby / Source: Wise Bread

I’m having some remodeling done at my house, and you’d think the hardest part of that would be the volume of the hammering and drilling. But in fact, the worst part is the volume of the decisions I’m called upon to make — from the contractor stopping by to ask where I want the plumbing for the future sink, to the designer emailing me about tile choices.

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It feels like, if I’m interrupted enough times with these small decisions, I have no energy left for work or budgeting or for my family.

I’m not alone. Decision fatigue is a very real phenomenon. The theory is that the brain only has so much decision-making juice each day, and once we’ve used it up, we’re less able to make good choices.

For me and my project, one way to avoid decision fatigue has been to outsource as many of the choices as possible to a designer. Whenever she presents me with a few choices, if one doesn’t stand out immediately, I ask her, “What do you think?” Being a designer with an eye for that kind of thing, she usually has an answer and I feel confident that the new bathroom will look great.

There are other ways to simplify your life to fight decision fatigue. Let’s look at some tactics.

1. Wear a uniform

Steve Jobs did it with his famous closet full of black mock turtlenecks. To an extent, so did President Barack Obama; he told Vanity Fair that he only wore blue or gray suits, saying, “I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.”

Sure, a uniform works for an iconic leader, but will it work in an ordinary office, where the same people see you day in and day out? Many workers are saying yes; wearing the same thing — or a variation on the same outfit — every day is becoming a trend. (See also: Everyday Habits of Wealthy People)

2. Preplan your menu

How many times have you dropped by a co-worker’s desk to ask if they wanted to go to lunch, and ended up wasting 20 minutes discussing where to go? Or stood in front of the refrigerator 30 minutes before dinner trying to figure out what to make?

Whether you’re a takeout person or a home cook who packs every lunch, planning meals in advance can make the day easier. During a difficult stretch when my three kids were small and my husband had to move to California ahead of the rest of the family, I instituted a rotating schedule that called for Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Whole Wheat Wednesday, Thoughtless Thursday, and Frozen Pizza Friday. Having a rough idea of what I’d be cooking each evening saved my mental energy for the decision-heavy online househunting I did each night after the kids were in bed. (See also: Save Money and Eat Better With These 6 Online Meal Planners)