8 Tips on Avoiding Decision Fatigue

We’ve all had those days that are mentally exhausting. As teachers, there isn’t much downtime as you have to manage a full classroom and interact with others all day long. Both your body and mind use a lot of energy to get through the day. Fortunately, there are ways you can lessen the work your brain has to do. 

If you feel mentally drained after just a few hours, you may be experiencing decision fatigue. Decision fatigue causes us to lose energy and focus after we make too many decisions. Research says that we make anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 decisions each day, from picking out our clothes to choosing a meal for lunch. Each decision requires your brain to do some work to evaluate information and compare different outcomes. 

Decision fatigue can lead to careless mistakes and poor decisions. You may also become irritable and physically tired. These aren’t the best combinations for success. 

Luckily, there are some ways to outsmart your brain to avoid decision fatigue and have a more productive day.