Don’t Fall Victim to Decision Fatigue

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ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – We all face hundreds of choices every day. Some small, some big, some important, and some even lifesaving, but since the pandemic started ten months ago, the decisions we are making now seem more daunting than ever before. And now, more people are experiencing something called decision fatigue.

To go out or stay in? Work from home or the office? Pay this bill or that one? Online school the kids or get them back in the classroom? Are you experiencing decision fatigue? “Decision fatigue is when we feel extremely tired and stressed, based on the amount of decisions that we have to make,” said Larissa Humiston, MSW, LCSW, a Clinical Social Worker.

When your brain is overloaded by decision making, it looks for shortcuts. One shortcut is to become reckless and act impulsively. The other is to avoid any choice and resist any change, and the worst part … you might not even realize it’s happening. “They might not know it’s decision fatigue. So they might notice that they’re clenching their jaw at night or that they can’t sleep,” said Humiston, MSW, LCSW.

Focus on self-care. Take ten-minute breaks several times throughout the day. Get eight to ten hours of sleep and maintain regular schedules. Also write down your top priorities for each day and tackle those first. And remember, it’s tough out there right now. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Glucose-rich snack foods can also help you conserve your energy and focus better. Research shows snacks like nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter, Greek yogurt and granola improve self-control and keeps your blood sugar from dipping to low.

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-snacks-for-work#TOC_TITLE_HDR_9

Contributor(s) to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Bob Walko, Videographer and Editor.

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