How Women Can Reduce Their Mental Load And Decision Fatigue In Everyday Life

Decision fatigue can be crippling and pose as a major roadblock in day-to-day activities. In an article by Health Line, the statement, “Regardless of how strong you are, your ability to make the best choices can eventually run out due to decision fatigue,” summarizes the importance of reducing your mental load. Here are three ways a person can manage the mental load of making multiple decisions. Simply implementing automation, task prioritization, and elimination of choice can lighten mental load and reduce decision fatigue.

Putting repetitive tasks on autopilot can free up mental load by reducing the need to spend valuable brain power on several little tasks that don’t require a big lift and typically drain your mental battery. Simple but impactful methods of automation in the home can be simple. A quick and easy task could look like using apps such as Instacart for scheduling a weekly delivery for essentials.

Other tasks that can be placed on a routine and dropped into a schedule include weekly cleaners, laundry services, and health appointments. Using digital calendars and setting alarms can keep you on track.

Utilizing online banking and other payment dashboards to place monthly bills on autopay or schedule payments ahead of time. This will free up the mental load and reduce decision fatigue.

It may be tempting to tackle the low-hanging fruit of the day. Alternatively, knocking out difficult high-energy action items is best while you are fresh and early in the day. Stanford health psychologist Kelly McGonigal explains, “your willpower weakens as the day progresses, as your energy gets ‘spent’ on stress and self-control.”

It may be tempting to do small, quick, and easy tasks, but those times should be left for the end of the day. Save the mental power for a high-output task, such as doing all the laundry or running errands.

Weekly schedules that consist of checklist-style tasks can help increase productivity. Be sure to place tasks in order of priority. This simple hack ensures the mental work has been done in advance. The only thing left to do is to execute the task.

Narrowing down a selection of choices is an easy way to aid with decision fatigue. A few common but unconventional methods of doing so would include curating a uniform and meal prepping. CNBC, a news platform, reported that Matilda Kahl, Creative Manager at Sony Music, wears a uniform to reduce decisions and decrease the chances of decision fatigue. “I did it because I realized how much time and energy I could save during my work days by just taking out the clothing aspect,” Kahl told CNBC.

Curating a uniformfor work and home is an effective strategy for reducing one of the first decisions a person makes in the day. An impactful uniform would consist of five to seven of the same ensemble, outfit, or dress. Having a uniform at arm’s length makes it easy. The end result is not having to stress about what to wear. This simple course of action frees up time, reduces stress, and deciding what to wear is one less thing you have to make a decision about. 

Meal Prepping is a great way to cut down on the number of choices made within a day. Coming home and enjoying dinner is quick and easy when meals are cooked and prepped ahead of time. Meal prepping can be done once a week or delivered to your doorstep using services such as Hello Fresh.

Overall, day-to-day activities can be hard to manage and, at times, feel overwhelming. A good hack for reducing mental load and managing decision fatigue is implementing systems to lighten the load. Reducing mental load reduces the chances of burnout. You may be surprised how automation, prioritization, and elimination will lighten the load and increase mental capacity. Resulting in an overall better quality of life.