Decision Fatigue

Decision Fatigue and How to Make Choosing EasierThis episode explains why decision fatigue is real, what it does to your brain, and why even small choices can feel impossible by the end of the day. Vanessa Gorelkin, your host, a licensed therapist and executive coach, breaks down the neuroscience and behavior patterns behind overwhelm, then shares practical ways to reduce the number of decisions you make.The ‘Untangle This’ of this episode is a relatable question about post-college uncertainty— the answer includes a key reminder that you do not need the perfect answer, just a starting point.Key topicsDecision fatigue is a measurable decline in decision quality after making many choices throughout the dayThe average adult makes about 35,000 decisions a day, most of them small but cumulatively drainingLate-day decision collapse shows up as impulse control failures, avoidance, shortcut-taking, and feeling stuckThe prefrontal cortex handles planning and rational choice, and it becomes less efficient as the day goes onGlutamate buildup in the lateral prefrontal cortex helps explain why controlled thinking starts to feel too costlyDecision fatigue isn’t laziness or lack of discipline, but a real neural and metabolic shift toward low-effort default choicesEvening dopamine makes comfort behaviors like food, scrolling, and shopping feel more rewardingDecision fatigue affects real-world settings like healthcare, criminal justice, parenting, and workplace performancePractical ways to reduce overload include batching big decisions early, simplifying options, automating low-stakes choices, and using routinesPerfectionism adds a hidden tax to decision-making, so “good enough” is often the better strategyNotable quotables:“Decision fatigue is a measurable decline in decision quality after making many choices throughout the day.”“You don't need to choose the perfect path. You need to choose a starting point.”“You can't think your way to clarity. You have to act your way there.”Action itemsDecide dinner or other routine choices earlier in the dayPut workout clothes out before evening arrivesReduce daily choices by using routines and defaultsTake breaks before you feel completely drainedUse “future me” as a guide when perfectionism kicks in- what would ‘future me’ appreciate?Click here to get in touch Thanks for listening!Please share the show with anyone who may enjoy it. We'd love it if you'd leave us a 5 star review wherever you're listening- it helps listeners find the show and we read every review.If you'd like to submit an "Untangle This" question, a comment, or an episode idea-- Email us:[email protected] is available to consult professionally with individual clients. If you'd like to work with Vanessa , reach out here:https://vanessagorelkin.com/contact-us#12398ed6-3711-4e15-ae41-4711059fd6abIf you'd like to read about Vanessa's background, treatment perspective and techniques, or other handy information about her practice, check out her Psychology Today profile here:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/vanessa-gorelkin-scottsdale-az/809467