5 Ways Moms Can Reduce Decision Fatigue

Charisse Tierney identifies five areas of life you can simplify so they require minimal decision-making energy.

The average person makes up to 35,000 decisions every day. As mothers, we don’t usually feel like the “average person.” I’m guessing that, on some days, we make far more decisions than that!  

And it’s exhausting.  

What to wear, what to cook, which bathroom to clean, work related decisions, whether or not a child is too sick to attend an outside activity, whether I should help one child with their math assignment now, or work with a different child on her piano practice … I need a cup of coffee, but which mug should I use? 

The list is infinite. Our brains are often overwhelmed and drained just by the normal day-to-day decisions that we have to make. And when a big life change or something unexpected happens, it takes all of our reserve energy to navigate the accompanying unfamiliar decisions an emergency requires.   

Reducing the number of daily decisions I have to make has helped me have the energy I need to cope with a recent major life change. 

Reducing Decision Fatigue in 5 Areas of Daily Life 

I've automated five areas of daily life to give my brain a break. Use these as a springboard for ideas for some daily decisions you can put on autopilot as well. 

Edit your wardrobe. 

I’ve pared my wardrobe down to a uniform of sorts. Most days I wear jeans and a nice quality solid-colored t-shirt. I have a few other varied pieces, but there are days when I just can’t make decisions about small things because my brain is flooded with big things. Then all I have to do is pull out the next t-shirt in my drawer, slip on my jeans, and off I go. 

Make a meal plan. 

I made a weeklong menu of meals that I know everyone likes, are quick to prepare, and many of which I don’t need a recipe for. I loop through the same menu every week with a few variables (sometimes Tuesday night dinner is taco salad instead of regular tacos!). Usually someone in our family comes up with something to cook that provides some variety, but when I have no bandwidth left in my brain at 4:00pm on Friday, I can look at my menu and just make what is written there. 

Make homeschooling easy.

I created a basket for each child that has a book or two for each subject I want them to read about. I put a post-it note in the front of each book with the label “history,” “science,” “literature,” and so on. I also put a laminated list in each child’s basket of the subjects included in their basket, how much time to read from each of the subjects each day, and how many narrations they should write each day.

This eliminates a lot of decision-making throughout my day and gives my children choices within parameters such as what order to do their schoolwork in, which history book to read from that day, and which books they would like to write narrations for. I also pared down our choices for our read aloud time each day and use an open-and-go math curriculum in which I can just turn to the next lesson when it’s time for math each day. 

Establish routines for your work outside the home. 

I teach private piano and clarinet lessons three evenings per week. I have a routine for our lessons to eliminate decisions such as how to start each lesson, which music to use, and how to approach various musical and technical concepts. While I am often energized by interaction with my students and am inspired to tailor the flow of the lesson and the music we use to the individual, having a routine and using reliable music and teaching techniques that I know well ensures that I am still giving quality instruction, even on days when my brain is fatigued. 

Pray. 

Daily prayer is a discipline, especially when we are tired and feeling uninspired. I keep a basket with my go-to devotionals, a Bible, and a Rosary near the place where I like to pray. I often start my prayer time by lighting a candle, then simply go through my list of devotions and prayers. If I am feeling moved by the Holy Spirit to try a new devotion or prayer place, I go with it. But on days when making one more decision about anything feels humanly impossible, I trust my routine and the discipline of my pre-planned prayers to open my heart to God’s strength and decision-making powers. 

Identify which areas in your life you can simplify so they require minimal decision-making energy. Create some space for the decisions that truly matter — and enjoy the peaceful consistency of those that can simply be routine. 

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Copyright 2024 Charisse Tierney
Images: Canva