For those who are struggling despite their best efforts, what are you tired from? #03 Decision Fatigue Edition

For those who don't have much time, I've made it so you can grasp the flow just by looking at the diagrams along the way.
It's part of the following series (*^▽^*)

Why am I so tired?

Hello.
I am Akari no Tabibito (Traveler of the Light).

This may be sudden, but have you ever shouted this in your heart?

What are you doing, you idiot.

I do it often.
Or rather, I'm always doing it.
I'm messing up.
And even now, I'm continuing to mess up somewhere. Rolling my eyes.

Choosing something.
Seeing the result.
And then I think.

"No, wasn't it the other one?"
"Why did I choose that now?"
"Shouldn't I have thought about it a little more?"
"But at the time, I thought it was the right thing to do..."

Like this, a reflection meeting starts in my head.

If it were a game, it would still be easy to understand. Advance the main quest. Collect materials. Clear the dailies. Level up. Even if there are choices, the goal is somewhat visible. That's why I can sometimes move quite mindlessly, thinking, "I'll do this today."

The problem is reality.

Reality is not that sweet.
I don't know what the main quest is.
I don't know which one is a side quest either.
I don't know if what I'm doing now will lead to the future.
I don't know what will happen after I choose, before I choose.

That's why I'm lost.
That's why it's scary.
That's why I'm tired even though I haven't done anything yet.

In this Akari Research Facility, we will be covering decision fatigue.

Decision fatigue doesn't just happen with big decisions. It's a state where your mind and head gradually get tired from repeating small daily choices over and over.

In this article, we will organize why people get tired just by making decisions. And, what you should review before blaming yourself for not being able to choose.

To start with the conclusion, a day when you can't choose is not a day when you are weak.

It might just be a day where you have already chosen enough.

People are making choices far more often than they realize.

When you hear the term "decision fatigue," you might imagine major life decisions like changing jobs, buying something, starting something new, or changing the direction of your life. Of course, those kinds of decisions are heavy.

But in reality, people are making decisions all the time, every day, on much smaller scales.

Should I get up or sleep a little longer?
What should I eat?
Which clothes should I wear?
Which notifications should I check?
Who should I reply to?
Should I do my best today?
Or should I take a break?
Is it okay to stay as I am?
Should I change something?

Each one is a small decision. But precisely because they are small, they are troublesome. Since they aren't counted as exhaustion, it's hard to notice them yourself. And by the time you do notice, you end up like this:

"I'm tired even though I haven't done anything."

But, to be precise, it's not that you haven't done anything. You just haven't moved your body much, but you've been holding a meeting in your head the whole time. Is this better? No, isn't there a better option? Will I fail at this? Is this really okay? Will this lead to the future? If you keep thinking about things like that, it's harder not to get tired.

And to make matters worse, there is no strategy guide for reality. In a game, the goal is somewhat visible.

Level up.
Prepare equipment.
Gather materials.
Advance the main quest.

Of course, there are moments of confusion in games too, but because it's easier to see "what to do now," you can move relatively quickly.

But reality isn't that kind.

I don't know what the main quest is. I don't know which path leads to the future. I don't know what's waiting for me after I choose until I've already chosen. That's why I get lost and scared. And while I keep wandering, my heart and mind get a little more tired each time.

This is thedecision fatiguethat we are dealing with this time.

Just choosing. What I thought was just that might actually be using more mental energy than I realize. Decision fatigue doesn't just happen in special situations. It is born from repeatedly picking up the small choices scattered throughout daily life.

Why does decision fatigue happen?

So, why do people get tired just from making decisions?

In short,the meeting before choosing is too long.

When choosing something, people aren't just thinking about "Should I choose A or B?" Before that, they look at the price, check the reputation, compare it with other options, and imagine what would happen if they failed. In other words, even if there is only one choice visible on the surface, there are many small decisions layered behind it.

For example, when buying something:

Check the price.
Look at reviews.
Compare with other products.
Look for a place to buy it cheaper.
Think about whether you really need it now.
Think about whether you will regret it after buying it.

...No, isn't that too much of a meeting just for one purchase?

But in reality, we do it. Perhaps many people do. While it might seem simple to just decide whether to buy something or not, behind the scenes, small anxieties like 'I don't want to lose out,' 'I don't want to fail,' and 'there might be something better' are all moving at the same time.

Moreover, in the modern age, there is too much information to look at before choosing. Reviews, comparison articles, social media reputations, video explanations, rankings, and someone's personal experience. It's convenient. It really is convenient. However, because it's too convenient, there is now too much to check before making a choice.

Information increases.
Choices increase.
Comparisons increase.
Hesitation increases.
Anxiety also increases.

And it takes time to make a decision.

The tricky part here is that the person gathering the information thinks they are 'thinking it through properly.' Of course, that in itself is not a bad thing. Rather, they are researching precisely because they don't want to decide haphazardly. They are comparing precisely because they don't want to regret it. That is why I think decision fatigue is hard to notice.

Before you know it, even though you were supposed to be researching to make a choice, the more you research, the less you are able to choose.

If this continues, it would be harder not to get tired.

I myself experience this quite a bit.

To those around me, I might just look like someone who is slow to decide. But inside, it's not that I'm not thinking about anything; on the contrary, I am sometimes overthinking.

Is it okay to choose this?
Will I regret it?
Should I do it now?
Isn't there a better option?
Can I recover if I fail?

As a result of such internal meetings dragging on, I ultimately decide, 'Let's not do it this time.' However, rather than a clean withdrawal, there are times when it is closer to the result of my decision-making power having run dry along the way.

I haven't decided to do it.
I haven't positively decided not to do it.

It's just that after continuing to think, my power to choose is exhausted.

I think this is also a very troublesome aspect of decision fatigue.

What happens to people when decision fatigue occurs?

When the meeting before choosing drags on, people gradually get tired. Even though they were supposed to be thinking properly at first, before they know it, the act of thinking itself becomes exhausting.

When decision fatigue occurs, people's reactions can be broadly divided into these three types.

1. Becoming unable to decide

Stopping in front of choices. Continuing to research. Continuing to compare. None of them feel bad, and all of them look a little anxious. As a result, you become unable to move because of the information you gathered to make a decision.

2 Making decisions carelessly

I don't want to think anymore. I'm tired. Fine, I'll just go with this. You end up choosing with that kind of momentum. It's not that choosing by intuition is bad in itself, but when you're exhausted, choosing just to get it over with makes it easy to invite regret later.

3 Escaping by choosing nothing

I do this quite a lot, too. It's not that I've decided to do it, nor have I proactively decided not to. It's just that after thinking about it continuously, my capacity to choose runs out. And so, the final result is, 'I'll pass on this for now.'

From the outside, this can look like 'indecisiveness,' 'being sloppy,' or 'not taking action.' But within the person themselves, they have thought quite a bit before reaching that point. It's not that they can't move because they haven't thought about it; it's that as a result of thinking too much, they become unable to move.

That is why I don't want to dismiss decision fatigue as just a personality issue.

Being unable to decide doesn't mean you are weak.
It's that as a result of being worn down every time you make a choice, the next decision becomes heavier.

Three things anyone can do to lighten decision fatigue

What's important for lightening decision fatigue is not trying to decide everything through sheer willpower. When you're tired and push yourself by saying, 'Decide faster,' that in itself becomes a new burden. So, start by reducing the number of times you have to make a decision.

1 Reduce choices to three or fewer

The more choices there are, the easier it is for people to get lost. So, instead of trying to compare everything from the start, decide, 'Today, I will choose from these three.' It's more important to reduce the number of options to a manageable level than to search for the perfect answer.

2 Write down what you are struggling with

When you think only in your head, everything starts to look like it has the same weight. When you write it on paper, it becomes easier to separate things into 'what to decide now,' 'what can wait,' and 'what doesn't need to be decided at all.' This isn't just a note; it's the process of taking the meeting in your head and putting it outside. Getting information and tasks out of your head is also recognized as a way to lighten cognitive load.

3 Don't decide at night. Sleep on it and look in the morning

You are tired at night. Decisions made when you are tired tend to lean toward anxiety and impatience. So, write down what you are struggling with before you go to sleep, and look at it again in the morning. For small daily decisions, sometimes your morning intuition is more than enough.

What is needed to lighten decision fatigue is not strong willpower.

Reduce choices.
Write them down.
Don't decide when you are tired.

Even just these three things will make the meeting in your head a little quieter.

Summary

Decision fatigue does not happen just because you are indecisive.

Every day, people make far more decisions than they realize. What to eat, what to watch, who to reply to, whether to do it now or do it later. Even if each one seems small, as they pile up, your mind and brain gradually become exhausted.

In modern times especially, there is too much information and too many choices. The more you research, the more lost you become; the more you compare, the more anxious you feel, and sometimes you end up exhausted before you even decide.

That is why, even on days when you cannot choose, I think you should not blame yourself too much.

Being unable to choose is not because your will is weak.
It is just that your mind and brain are tired as a result of having already made too many choices.

First, reduce your options.
If you are unsure, write it down on paper.
Do not force yourself to decide on a night when you are tired.

Even just doing that will make the meeting inside your head a little quieter.

You do not have to decide everything today.
You do not have to get the right answer on the first try.
You can adjust things little by little after you have made your choice.

What is needed to cope with decision fatigue is not a strong will, butways to protect your decision-making ability, I believe.

Next Episode Preview

In the next Akari Research Facility, we will covercognitive load.

There is too much information.
There are too many things to think about.
Your mind gets cluttered, and you do not know where to start.

What is happening inside a person's head at times like that?

Next time, we will organize "Why people become unable to move when their heads are full."

Thank you for reading until the end.
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