Fight Decision Fatigue

Overwhelmed by Options

We get tired, we get frustrated and sometimes we’re so overwhelmed by options we can’t make a decision at all. In fact, the more decisions we make, the worse we seem to be at making them. Experts even have a term for it: decision fatigue. The concept is an off shoot of ego depletion — the theory that willpower and self control are a limited resource. Once we “use up” this resource, we’re prone to giving in to temptation — whether it’s food, spending or letting loose our temper.

In this climate where we’re trying to live better and spend better, decision fatigue can derail our plans. “Decision making depletes your willpower, and once is depleted, you’re less able to make decisions,” say authors Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney in their new book, Willpower: Rediscovering The Greatest Human Strength. “If your work requires you to make hard decisions all day, at some point you’re going to be depleted and start looking for ways to conserve energy. You’ll look for excuses to avoid or postpone decisions. You’ll look for the easiest and safest option, which is often to stick with the status quo.”

Cognitive Misers

Essentially, we become “cognitive misers” when our resources run low. We have problems weighing trade-offs and coming up with a compromise, or we can become fixated on one aspect of the decision (like price) rather than being able to see “the big picture.” If we’re choosing from a list, we may start settling for the default option — which could be the most expensive and least practical. We “do what we’ve always done” rather than seek better options.

Case in point: a study of Israeli judges on a parole board. At certain times of day — like right before lunch and at the end of the day — judges were more likely to maintain the status quo and deny prisoners parole — even though their cases were similar to prisoners who were granted parole. This well known research isn’t the only example. A variety of studies involving rigorous series of decisions yielded similar results: after a while, we simply don’t have the mental resources to deal with details. Good decision making isn’t a trait that’s always present, say the authors — it’s a trait that fluctuates.

Decisions

After a hectic day at work, it’s even harder to make decisions at home — like find healthy choices for dinner or saying no to your spouse or children.

- The constant financial trade-offs you make on a strict budget can leave you with less energy and attention for other areas of your life — and perhaps more likely to splurge.

- When buying a big ticket item, you make numerous choices about features and options — then you give in to the pitch to buy an extended warranty or rust-proof your new car.

- After carefully comparing all the selections and prices at the grocery store, you reach the cash register — and find yourself making an impulse buy like candy and magazines.

In short, poor decisions can have an impact on our lives, our loved ones and our bottom line. We want to make the best choices, but sometimes we have to choose our battles first.

How to Beat Decision Fatigue

Being aware of the problem is a good first step, say experts. When we know there’s the potential for trouble, we can take steps to help. For instance:

- Make important decisions early on. Think it’s a good idea to save the toughest decisions for last. Wrong, warn researchers. It’s a good idea to make the most important — and mostly costly — decisions first when you have the most mental resources. However, be warned that people who make the big choices first can experience decision fatigue faster than people who start small. Some people make a few small decisions first — rather like a warm-up — before diving into the difficult ones.

- Get smart with your schedule. Making an after work appointment do see your financial advisor? Bad idea, say experts. Time of day can also be crucial, and it’s better to think earlier rather than late. Avoid meetings or big decisions at the end of the day, or when you’re typically tired or hungry. First thing in the morning and right after a snack or meal are good times. Another no-no: back-to-back meetings without a break.

- Take breaks. When we get tired and frustrated, we often try to plough on through. However, there’s something to be said for taking a walk or “sleeping on it”. Breaks offer some respite to help recharge your abilities — and experts say we should take a break whether we think we need it or not. We may not realize how fatigued we are — there aren’t any obvious warning signs or alarms. When in doubt, say you’ll think it about it first. You don’t have to make major decisions like investments or mortgages right on the spot — a smart advisor should remind you “you don’t have to make this decision right now.”

- Have a snack. Grocery shopping isn’t the only thing you should avoid when you’re hungry. Studies have shown that the energy boost we get from a snack can help restore our decision making abilities — temporarily, at least. That’s no excuse to indulge in a sweet treat, however. The benefit comes from a quick shot of glucose, not how tasty the food is. Experts advise to keep some healthy snacks like fruit on hand.

Develop Habits

We’ll bet you didn’t think too hard about brushing your teeth this morning. Our brains love routine because these “automatic” decisions don’t use up much mental energy. Some studies have shown that people who make more astute corporate decisions tend to have developed habits that free up their mental facilities to make the decisions that matter most.

Habits also help us steer clear of temptation — like the route home from work that avoids shops and fast food, shopping the outside aisles of the grocery store. Some decisions we can even make ahead of time — like creating a meal plan for the week on your day off rather than dealing with dinner when you get home. By extension, budgets, automated savings and exercise plans can all help lighten the decision load.

Have Faith

Have faith in your willpower. Sometimes the belief of our willpower can become a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you think you have the ability to resist temptation, you’re more likely to resist temptation. A related study by Stanford psychology professor Dr. Carol Dweck found that participants who believed that willpower is limited were more likely to give into temptation or have difficulty with mental performance following a taxing task than participants who felt willpower wasn’t quite so limited.

While the ability to make good decisions all the time would be a great superpower, the reality for those of us who don’t live in comic books is that we can take steps to improve our abilities. Knowing we’re prone to weaknesses when we’re mentally “maxed out” can help us stay ahead of trouble — and keep our budgets in line. “Even the wisest people won’t make good choices when they’re not rested and their glucose is low,” Baumeister points out in an essay for the New York Times. “The best decision makers… are the ones who know when not to trust themselves.”