💭Dear Curious Readers,

Have you ever wondered whether to rest or push through the day when feeling completely drained? In those situations, resting sounds like the best choice so that our brains and bodies are able to recover. But we could be haunted by the feeling of falling behind, and because of that, choose to push through. If you are a student juggling school, work, and other responsibilities, this can sound familiar. Deciding what to do each, which assignment to start, which assignments to procrastinate on… You are not alone; everyone has or will experience this in their lifetime. You do not lack motivation or focus; it is something called decision fatigue. Let’s break this down.

What is Decision Fatigue?

Decision Fatigue accumulates as we make more and more decisions every day. Every choice, big or small, requires mental effort from our brains.  Our brain evaluates options, predicts outcomes, manages emotions, and chooses what feels best in that moment. Over time, this process drains our energy. The part of the brain responsible for decision-making, the prefrontal cortex, works hard to keep everything organized and controlled. However, without rest, our brain becomes less efficient. This is why later in the day decisions feel harder, procrastination increases, and even small choices feel frustrating. Sometimes, this may also lead to us regretting some of the decisions made during that tired time. 

Why does Small Decision Add Up? 

It’s not just major life choices that exhaust us. Small decisions pile up quickly throughout the day: what to wear, when to eat, how to respond to messages, which task to do first. Each one takes a little bit of mental energy. For students, these constant choices are everywhere. Like our phone battery, over time, the brain’s “decision battery” runs low. As students, when studying, we often run into decisions on how to approach a problem, doubting ourselves, and determining what we should do next. This accumulates and makes decision-making feel harder, especially when we’re tired, hungry, stressed, or overwhelmed. Even choosing something simple can feel like too much because the brain has already spent its energy making other decisions.

How to make decision-making less exhausting?

The goal isn’t to avoid decisions entirely; it’s to make them easier on your brain. A few gentle ways to reduce decision fatigue include:

• Making important decisions earlier in the day

• Creating simple routines to reduce daily choices

  • For instance: picking out your outfit the day before, having a meal prep day, scheduling out what to do the following day…

• Permitting yourself to rest when your brain feels overloaded

Decision fatigue is not a flaw. It’s a sign that your brain has been working hard to support you. Decision-making feels exhausting because it is exhausting. Understanding how your brain works allows you to be more patient and compassionate with yourself on busy or overwhelming days.

Thanks for sticking to the end! Let’s continue to be kind to ourselves and stay curious!

Yours Truly,

✨Angelina C.✨

References

Cleveland Clinic. (2023, May 31). 8 Signs of Decision Fatigue and How To Cope. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/decision-fatigue

Kaiser Permanente. (2025, February 2). Tips for dealing with decision fatigue | Kaiser Permanente. Healthy.kaiserpermanente.org. https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/hawaii/health-wellness/healtharticle.tips-for-dealing-with-decision-fatigue

Radtke, D. (2023). Understanding the Fluctuating Nature of Fatigue. Brainfacts.org. https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/thinking-and-awareness/2023/how-fatigue-affects-our-decisions-and-desires--041823

Rhodes, M. (2024, December 11). The Compounding Effect of Small Choices. Monique Rhodes. https://moniquerhodes.com/the-compounding-effect-of-small-choices-article/