Happy Monday, everyone. I struggled to narrow my ideas as I contemplated what I should write about this week. This happens sometimes when the topic is unclear immediately; making decisions is often challenging. For instance, when I sit down to watch TV, I sometimes spend almost an hour deciding what to watch, and when I finally do, I’m too tired and fall asleep. Or when I’m sick of my usual restaurants and want to do something different, I drive around awhile looking for something that sounds good and end up at Wendy’s or Arby’s, which is where I should have just gone, to begin with.
However, one thing that I have been thinking about this week is rebranding the blog and podcast. What is “Happy Monday?” I’ve enjoyed the mental health focus, as that’s what I do professionally. But also, can I write about pop culture sometimes? What about politics? Can I just tell stories from my life? What if I shared photos and videos more often?
What makes a ‘Happy Monday’ for me and my audience?
Should I reintroduce myself this week? Should I discuss my counseling theories and ideas? Should I get on a soapbox about social justice issues and rail against the beliefs that I held and espoused with dogmatic vehemence for many years? Should I just post a short story?
So many choices.
The reality is that I just need to choose a topic or idea. More Mondays are ahead, and I can choose something else next time. But why is it so hard to choose?
Decision fatigue is the psychological phenomenon that occurs when the quality of our decisions deteriorates after a lengthy decision-making session. Picture yourself standing in front of an endless buffet, initially excited by the options. And if you’re like me, you fill up your plate (or grab a second) and heap the food on top, making it difficult to carry on your way back to your table (which, of course, is as far away from the good stuff as possible because the well-meaning hostess thought it best to put my closer to the salad than the desserts.)
(We do the same thing with stress, by the way. We put too much on our plates, heaping it full, making it hard to carry - when we could always return to the unlimited stress buffet and get more later. But that’s another blog for another time. I told you I was having difficulty choosing what to write about.)
One of the primary reasons decision-making becomes arduous is due to the finite nature of our mental resources. Just as muscles tire after prolonged use, our cognitive faculties weaken with each decision we make. Psychologists call this ego depletion, where the self-regulatory capacity for making sound judgments depletes over time. Consequently, as our mental resources dwindle, we become more susceptible to impulsive and irrational decisions.
Furthermore, the abundance of choices in today's society exacerbates decision fatigue. While having options is typically perceived as a privilege, the paradox of choice suggests that excessive possibilities can lead to decision paralysis. When faced with an overwhelming array of choices, individuals may need help evaluating each option effectively, leading to procrastination or avoidance.
The fear of making the wrong decision amplifies the burden of choice. The stakes are often high, whether selecting the right career path, choosing a life partner, or deciding on a significant financial investment. The fear of regret looms large, paralyzing individuals into indecision. People may engage in extensive deliberation to mitigate potential regret, further depleting their mental resources and exacerbating decision fatigue.
Also, external factors such as time pressure and information overload contribute to the complexity of decision-making. In today's fast-paced world, we are bombarded with constant information, making it challenging to sift through the noise and extract pertinent details necessary for informed decision-making. We often give up and start making rash choices to counteract the overwhelm.
The emotional toll of decision-making must be noticed. Decisions, particularly those with significant consequences, evoke emotions, from anxiety and uncertainty to anticipation and excitement. The emotional rollercoaster accompanying decision-making further depletes our mental resources, making it increasingly challenging to maintain cognitive clarity and emotional equilibrium.
Decision fatigue is a pervasive phenomenon that underscores the inherent challenges of decision-making. Various factors contribute to the complexity of decision-making, from the depletion of mental resources to the abundance of choices and the fear of regret. By understanding the underlying mechanisms of decision fatigue, individuals can employ strategies to mitigate its effects and make more informed and intentional life choices.
I still haven’t decided what I want to write about today. But over 750 words later, I guess I’ll just go to bed.
This content is for educational and entertainment purposes and is not the same as therapy. If you need to talk to someone, go to PsychologyToday.com or one of the many online therapy platforms available and start treatment with a professional today!
For access to the weekly writing prompts, daily affirmations, and other exclusive content, consider becoming a paid subscriber!
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Kirk Sheppard to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.