Every day, you need to make both simple and complicated decisions regarding work and other aspects of life. Sometimes making a lot of decisions can be exhausting and stressful. When you feel extremely stressed because of the many decisions you have to take every day, this condition is known as decision fatigue.

What is Decision Fatigue?

Every day we are faced with small decisions, such as whether to drink tea or coffee, take the elevator or the stairs, or make big decisions that affect the lives of ourselves and others. Sometimes people can experience burnout due to the number, complexity or potential impact of the decisions they have to make, known as decision fatigue.

According to Medical News Today, this condition is a psychological phenomenon where a person tends to make poor decisions because they have made many decisions in the past. This refers to the theory that a person can make a bad decision after making many others because their brain is getting tired. They are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted.

This fatigue applies to every decision, whether it is a small or a big and difficult one. Decision fatigue can be compared to a battery that consistently loses energy with use. As the frequency of using battery energy for decision-making increases, the energy level will decrease, making it increasingly challenging to make effective decisions afterwards.

Is decision fatigue considered a medical condition?

The topic of decision fatigue continues to be a subject of discussion and disagreement among specialists. Many specialists continue to struggle with accepting the concept of this psychological phenomenon due to the challenge of providing concrete evidence of its influence.

A study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology revealed that this phenomenon lacks a specific definition that is easy to categorize and test, making it difficult to determine its effects. In addition, decision fatigue is also difficult to measure and test.

But researchers have also observed the phenomenon. A study revealed that nurses tend to make clinical decisions that are less efficient and more costly to the patient if they do not take long breaks.

Signs of Decision Fatigue

A person with decision fatigue does not show any specific symptoms, but they may feel tired, experience brain fog (not thinking as efficiently or effectively as usual), and may experience other signs of physical or mental fatigue. As this phenomenon can increase as a person makes more decisions, they may feel more tired or drained of energy over time.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, some signs of decision fatigue include:

• Often postpone work unconsciously
• Being impulsive and becoming less cautious of the choices to be made
• Feeling physically and mentally exhausted
• Easily forget or get distracted
• Start to feel overwhelmed
• Difficulty making decisions or indecisions

Decision Fatigue Risk Factors

The phenomenon of decision fatigue can be experienced by anyone, but this condition is often experienced by someone with the following risk factors:

• Work that involves making many decisions every day, for example as a judge, surgeon, or athlete.
• Decisions made affect the lives of others, such as families, employees, or companies.
• Being in a tough decision
• Being in an uncertain situation
• Has a tendency to be a perfectionist

Overcoming Decision Fatigue

In dealing with decision fatigue, you can overcome it by focusing your energy and mind on what you need to do. Some ways that you can try include:

Prioritize the most important decisions first

Making decisions on big, important matters can be overwhelming. If possible, it's best to prioritize your energy and thoughts on the most important things first to prevent you from making poor decisions over time.

Remove distractions

Before taking important decisions, it's best to avoid doing things that can distract your mind so that they don't affect your decision-making.

Take good care of yourself

To be able to make good decisions, you need to take good care of yourself. You can do this by making sure to eat a healthy and nutritious diet, take breaks when needed, exercise regularly, manage stress well, and make sure your body gets enough rest.

Decision fatigue is still a matter of debate among experts. However, if you experience fatigue, either due to work burnout or other things, you should consult a doctor. You can also utilize the consultation feature on the Ai Care application, which can be downloaded on your mobile phone.

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