Why Making Decisions Feels So Exhausting: Understanding Decision Fatigue

You’ve had a long day. You answered dozens of emails, sat through multiple meetings, juggled parenting, work, or errands—and now you’re standing in front of your fridge wondering what to eat for dinner. The idea of making one more decision feels like too much. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. What you’re experiencing is something called decision fatigue.

In today’s fast-paced world, many of us are overloaded with choices. From seemingly minor decisions (like what to wear) to high-stakes ones (like accepting a job offer), we’re expected to evaluate, prioritize, and act—often with limited mental energy. Over time, this takes a toll.

But what exactly is decision fatigue? What factors make decision-making more difficult? And most importantly, how can we cope?

Let’s break it down.

What Is Decision Fatigue?

Decision fatigue is a psychological phenomenon where your ability to make decisions deteriorates after a long session of decision-making. The more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain. By the end of the day—or even halfway through—you may find yourself overwhelmed, irritable, indecisive, or impulsive.

It’s not that you’re lazy or bad at making decisions. Your mental resources are finite. Think of your decision-making ability like a muscle: the more you use it without rest, the more fatigued it becomes.

Why Does Decision Fatigue Happen?

Every decision—big or small—requires cognitive effort. From deciding whether to respond to a text to choosing a career path, your brain evaluates risks, benefits, consequences, and alternatives. Even low-stakes choices, like what show to watch, take up mental space. Over time, this leads to mental depletion.

And when your brain is fatigued, it defaults to one of two patterns:

• Avoidance (putting off the decision entirely)
• Impulsivity (making a quick choice without much thought)

This explains why someone might procrastinate on important work tasks or end up doom-scrolling for hours instead of choosing a movie to watch. It’s not a lack of discipline—it’s decision fatigue.

What Factors Make Decision-Making More Difficult?

Several internal and external factors contribute to decision fatigue and difficulty in decision-making. These can include:

1. Too Many Choices

In our modern world, abundance can backfire. Whether it’s picking a brand of toothpaste or evaluating job options, an overwhelming number of choices can paralyze us. This is called choice overload—and it’s a fast track to decision fatigue.

2. High Stakes or Pressure

The higher the perceived consequences of a decision, the more emotional and cognitive effort it demands. If you’re making choices about finances, relationships, career, or health, your brain kicks into overdrive, weighing pros and cons and trying to avoid regret. This is mentally exhausting.

3. Fear of Making the “Wrong” Choice

Perfectionism, anxiety, and fear of failure can lead people to obsess over finding the “right” choice. This emotional burden adds weight to the decision-making process and can delay action or result in chronic indecision.

4. Lack of Sleep or Self-Care

Poor sleep, nutrition, and general burnout affect executive functioning—the part of the brain responsible for planning, reasoning, and decision-making. When your body and mind are depleted, decision fatigue sets in faster and deeper.

5. Ongoing Stress and Mental Load

Especially for caregivers, professionals, and multitaskers, the “invisible load” of tracking appointments, emotional labor, tasks, and to-dos creates a constant background hum of decision-making. Even small daily choices feel harder under the weight of chronic stress.

6. Unclear Values or Goals

When you’re unclear about your priorities, every decision becomes more complicated. Without a solid internal compass, you may second-guess yourself more often, leading to prolonged rumination and indecision.

7. Digital Overload

Notifications, emails, and information overload also contribute to decision fatigue. Every time you check your phone or switch tasks, your brain has to refocus and re-evaluate what matters. This “switching cost” accumulates over the day.

How Does Decision Fatigue Affect Your Life?

Decision fatigue doesn’t just cause inconvenience—it can impact your overall wellbeing. Here’s how it might show up in your daily life:

• You put off decisions until the last minute.
• You feel anxious or overwhelmed when faced with choices.
• You snap at others or feel more irritable as the day goes on.
• You make impulsive decisions, like spending money or eating junk food.
• You feel burned out, even when doing routine tasks.
• You lose touch with your long-term goals, focusing only on short-term relief.

Left unchecked, decision fatigue can harm relationships, reduce productivity, and increase stress. But there are ways to manage it.

How to Reduce Decision Fatigue

You can’t eliminate decision-making from your life, but you can reduce its toll by creating systems, routines, and habits that lighten your cognitive load.

1. Create Routines

Establishing predictable habits reduces the number of decisions you need to make. For example, having a morning routine, meal planning in advance, or setting a weekly workout schedule can prevent day-to-day decision overload.

2. Limit Choices When Possible

Reduce options where you can. This might look like having a few go-to work outfits, rotating meals, or limiting screen time to specific apps. Fewer choices = less stress.

3. Make Important Decisions Early in the Day

Your brain is fresher in the morning, so try to tackle high-impact decisions first. Save minor or routine tasks for later in the day when mental energy dips.

4. Identify Your Core Values

When your decisions align with your values, they become clearer. Take time to reflect on what really matters to you—this will serve as a guiding light when you’re faced with tough choices.

5. Practice Self-Compassion

Not every decision has to be perfect. Give yourself grace. The more you expect perfection, the more pressure you add, increasing the chance of burnout.

6. Get Support

If decision fatigue is interfering with your quality of life, consider speaking with a therapist. A mental health professional can help you recognize patterns, clarify priorities, and build strategies for navigating choices with less overwhelm.

Decision Fatigue in a Therapy Setting

In therapy, we often see clients struggling with decision fatigue without even realizing it. They come in feeling stuck, exhausted, and unsure why simple tasks have become difficult. Sometimes, what looks like “procrastination” or “laziness” is actually a result of chronic decision overload.

Therapy can provide space to process the underlying causes—whether it’s anxiety, trauma, burnout, or perfectionism—and create a plan for moving forward. It’s not about making the “right” choice every time. It’s about learning to trust yourself again.

Final Thoughts

In a world where we’re constantly asked to choose, decide, and evaluate, it’s no surprise that decision fatigue is on the rise. But you don’t have to stay stuck in overwhelm. By understanding the root causes and developing tools to manage your mental energy, you can make decisions with more clarity, ease, and confidence.

If you’re finding yourself drained by even the simplest choices, it might be time to talk with someone who can help.

Get started with a therapist today and begin your path toward more mindful, balanced decision-making.

Q&A

What are the factors that lead to difficulties in decision-making?

Several factors contribute to difficulty making decisions, including:

• Too many choices (choice overload)
• Fear of making mistakes or perfectionism
• High emotional or financial stakes
• Chronic stress or burnout
• Lack of clear goals or personal values
• Mental health conditions like anxiety or depression
• Low self-trust or confidence

These can all lead to decision fatigue, where your brain becomes overworked and less able to make effective choices.

What makes decisions difficult?

Decisions become difficult when:

• There are too many options to consider
• The outcome feels uncertain or risky
• You’re afraid of regret or judgment
• You’re mentally or physically exhausted
• Emotions cloud your judgment
• You feel internal conflict between logic and emotion

When several of these are happening at once, it’s easy to feel stuck.

What are the 5 factors affecting your decision-making?

While different models outline various influences, five commonly recognized factors that affect decision-making include:

1. Emotions – Anxiety, fear, or excitement can skew judgment.
2. Information overload – Too many inputs can cause analysis paralysis.
3. Mental fatigue – Depletion of mental energy reduces quality of decisions.
4. Personal values – Decisions are harder when you’re unclear on what matters to you.
5. Social pressure – Concern about others’ opinions can distort authentic choices.

Recognizing these factors is the first step toward reclaiming your decision-making power.