What is Decision Fatigue?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “decision” as, “ the act or process of deciding”. Decision Fatigue is associated with the fact that after making a bunch of decisions, a person’s ability to make further decisions deteriorates. The term was originally coined by social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister. Tonya Hansel, Ph.D., director of the Doctorate of Social Work at Tulane University says, “When humans are overstressed, we become hasty or shut down altogether, and that stress plays a huge role in our behaviors”. The psychological effects of this can vary, possibly resulting in impulsive or irrational behaviors or decisions being made. However, there are ways in which one can combat decision fatigue, or decrease the number of decisions to be made per day, in an attempt to reduce the stress associated with it. Decision fatigue is more of a psychological than a pathological or physiological problem, surrounding an individual’s decision-making capacity. It is also known as ego depletion.
For people suffering from this condition, their decision-making ability is a finite source, more like a battery, which keeps running out of power with each decision they make. The fatigue experienced applies to large and small decisions that the person has to make on a day-to-day basis. The underlying cause of this can be attributed to a person’s stress levels and the number of decisions they have to make per day, along with the weightage these decisions carry. On a daily basis, we have to make decisions every moment of the day; right from our outfit for the day, what breakfast/lunch/dinner to have, business or work decisions, leisure time decisions, and so on. The list is pretty much never-ending. For most of us, this might not seem like a very daunting task, and we kind of end up doing it subconsciously. But for others, this is pretty serious and the more complex decisions might deplete their energy much faster. Low energy levels mean their ability to make wise choices is depleted.
Tonya Hansel offers some signs to look out for to identify if one might be heading for decision fatigue:
Procrastination
Impulsivity
Avoidance
Indecision
The effects of decision fatigue may manifest in a couple of different ways, depending upon how it affects the person. The most common form is impulse buying. This can be witnessed at grocery stores where special deals or candies are placed near the checkout counters. After making a series of decisions, the person may give in and end up buying something he doesn’t really need. On the other hand, some people may start avoiding or procrastinating making decisions altogether when they feel drained. This behavior may cause the person to choose the default or socially acceptable option, which might not necessarily be correct for them.
To summarize, decision fatigue is a debatable topic, but for those who experience the signs associated with this condition must take the necessary steps to simplify their life. Decreasing anxiety and energy conservation for decisions that are really important is necessary.
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