The Mental Toll of Too Many Choices: How Decision Fatigue Fuels Depression
Having choices in life is a good thing. It keeps you from being backed into a corner, and can give you more freedom when you make a decision. However, too many choices can have the opposite effect, causing you to feel pressured, overwhelmed, anxious, and even depressed.
Decision fatigue is a very real thing, caused by having to make numerous choices. Having many options causes mental strain and leaves you feeling exhausted.
Unfortunately, if you don’t take charge and fight back against decision fatigue, it can take a greater toll on your overall mental well-being and impact nearly every area of your life. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at how decision fatigue fuels depression, and what you can do to limit your choices and boost your mental health.
Cognitive Depletion
Even the smallest decisions you have to make throughout the day cause mental strain. Every time you have to make a choice, you’re using energy. Every choice means more energy depletion. So, it doesn’t take long to become fatigued and feel burnt out.
The problem with this is that it quickly creates cognitive decline day after day. The more mentally fatigued you are from making so many decisions, the harder it will be to keep making good decisions. You won’t have the mental energy to think things through properly, which can lead to more mistakes and poor decision-making.
Making poor decisions in a fatigued state comes with consequences of its own. If those poor decisions cause problems, you’re likely to feel guilty, or you might regret the choices you made. That can lead to feelings of self-doubt, sadness, and depression.
Increased Stress
Having to make multiple decisions each day puts a lot of pressure on you. Even small decisions can add up quickly, causing increased stress. That stress can make you anxious very easily. You might worry about making the wrong choices, how your decisions will affect your lives or the lives of others, and what other choices you’ll have to make in the future. Your thoughts can start to make you feel stuck or paralyzed due to so many “what-ifs.”
An increase in stress not only contributes to symptoms of anxiety but can also lead to depression. When fear and worry take over, you might also start to feel a sense of hopelessness, like no matter what you do, there will be negative consequences.
How to Lessen Decision Fatigue
The best way to mitigate the impact of decision fatigue is to reduce the number of choices you have to make each day. Simplify your routine as much as possible. Again, even small choices add up, so something as simple as having the same thing for breakfast each day or picking out an outfit the night before can save you a lot of stress.
It’s also a good idea to delegate choices to other people. If the majority of your decision fatigue comes from your career, consider who you can share the burden with whenever possible.
Choose to prioritize your decisions. Make the most important ones earlier in the day when you have more energy and are thinking clearly. Make sure to take breaks throughout the day to boost your energy.
It’s also important to practice self-care. Get enough sleep each night, stay physically active, and find things that can help you reduce stress, like mindfulness practices, meditation, or journaling. By taking care of yourself, you’ll have more energy and focus and will feel more confident when it comes to delegating decisions to others.
Most importantly, don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you need it. Working with a mental health professional can help you fight back against the symptoms of depression while working through healthy, effective solutions to weaken the effects of decision fatigue. If you’re ready to start that journey forward, contact Integrative Psychotherapy Group today to set up an appointment.
