Decision Fatigue

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Decision illustration

Struggling to make decisions lately? You’re not alone. Decision fatigue is common in the age of information overload. When there are too many choices or variables to consider, mental weariness sets in, often leading to either disabling procrastination or knee-jerk impulsivity. However, the COVID pandemic has exacerbated this problem considerably. Now, in addition to the usual avalanche of considerations that go into decision-making, there are additional risk factors. Should I go to the party, play or game? If so, should I mask? Will others mask? If I’m the only one masking, will I endure ridicule? Could I catch COVID? Should I get another booster? This cascade of “what ifs” can paralyze the thinking mind.

The COVID era is one of heightened uncertainty, and this pervasive sense of not knowing makes choosing arduous for many. So, what can we do when frozen between various choices? Given the abundance of facts at our disposal, why can it be so difficult to properly evaluate our options?

Well, good decisions usually arise from reasoned judgment, which is the capacity to use information and rational thinking to inform one’s choices. The problem is that, paradoxically, our data-rich digital age interferes with this process rather than supporting it. The complicating factor is overload—drowning one’s mind in data, options and influential variables—which overwhelms the brain. The next time you find yourself staring into space—frozen with “What should I do?”—you may be experiencing this phenomenon.

Too Many Choices

For example, research shows when consumers are presented with too many choices (usually six or more), they are much more likely to mentally freeze and exit the store without buying anything. Why? The main reason is how our brains deal with data. The conscious mind, which we rely on to make rational choices, has a very limited capacity for juggling more than a few bits of information simultaneously. The more facts or variables we cram in there, the more likely the brain will give up and make either an ill-advised choice or no choice at all.

A classic study at Stanford University demonstrated this conundrum. Two groups of subjects were given a choice between a healthy desert (unsweetened fruit salad) and an unhealthy one (chocolate cake). One group was asked to memorize a couple of digits prior to making their selections, while the other group had to memorize seven digits before exercising their choices. The subjects who had to stuff more information into their brains were twice as likely to select the unhealthy option. The burden of more data overwhelms the conscious mind’s ability to be rational, prompting it to make decisions based purely on emotions or impulses.

We are now witnessing this in relation to the pandemic. The disjointed chorus of competing advice from numerous sources, both reliable and whacko, populates the mind with too many variables to consider. So, when it comes to making sound choices about how to navigate the risks of COVID, many folks now throw up their hands, think “To hell with it!”, and cast caution to the winds of fate. Are they just dumb? Some, for sure, but many suffer decision fatigue, leaving them vulnerable to impulsive, sometimes reckless choices. 

Think about the aftermath of your most boneheaded decisions. Usually, in retrospect, your rational mind, now free of juggling too many facts or being swept away by feelings, returns and says, “What were you thinking?” You’ve heard of buyer’s remorse. Well, this is “decider’s remorse.” What to do?  Counterintuitive as it may seem, you are more likely to make reliable decisions when you limit your deliberations to a few key variables. If possible, it also helps to elongate the decision-making process by tapping into your subconscious mind, so the adage about “sleeping on it” remains good counsel. By focusing on a few salient facts instead of every possible factor, and affording yourself adequate time for subconscious processing, you significantly increase the odds of exercising sound judgment. Regarding the pandemic, engage one or two trusted, verified sources of information, absorb facts more than opinions, and then mull it over.

Less information and more time—that’s the ticket.

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