How High Performers Overcome Decision Fatigue

Learn how to avoid cognitive depletion and improve your decision-making.

• Decision fatigue leads to worse choices as mental energy declines.

• Make high-impact decisions in the morning when mental energy is highest.

• Take strategic breaks and establish default choices to maximize efficiency.

Every day, we make thousands of decisions—from the moment we wake up to the minute we go to sleep. Some choices are small (what to wear, what to eat), while others are major (business strategies, career changes, relationship decisions). For high achievers, the sheer volume of decisions can be exhausting.

The problem? Decision fatigue.

Decision fatigue is the mental exhaustion that builds up after making too many decisions, leading to suboptimal choices, procrastination, or avoidance. Studies suggest that the brain has a limited capacity for high-quality decision-making each day. Once that capacity is drained, even the most astute individuals can struggle to make sound choices.

But here’s the good news: You can structure your life to maximize your decision-making power.

By understanding decision fatigue and using research-backed strategies, you can preserve mental energy and make better choices that drive success.

The Science Behind Decision Fatigue

Decision fatigue can impact professionals across industries. A new 2025 study of health care professionals revealed that clinicians find ways to adapt to prolonged shifts. In a study of judges who made more than 1,100 parole decisions, researchers found that judges granted parole at different rates depending on the time of day and based on whether they took a break.

• Early in the day, judges granted parole 65 percent of the time.

• Later in the day, that number plummeted to nearly 0 percent.

• This number returned abruptly to 65 percent after a food break.

Why? Repeated decisions lead to cognitive depletion, which influences subsequent decision-making.

As mental energy dwindles, it reduces our tolerance for pain, so the subsequent tendency is to accept the status quo.

This study reveals a key insight: The more decisions we make without a break, the worse they may get.

Cognitive overload and depletion can lead to:

• Analysis paralysis: Overthinking and delaying choices.

• Snap decisions: Opting for the easiest (but not necessarily best) choice.

• Avoidance: Postponing important decisions altogether and sticking with the status quo.

Strategies to Make Better Decisions and Maximize Mental Energy

Here are ways to streamline your process and preserve your focus and attention.

1. Reduce unnecessary decisions.

Conserve your decision-making energy by reducing or eliminating low-impact choices.

• Everyday decisions can be reduced by simplifying and creating default systems and patterns.

• Create routines for simple tasks like meals, workouts, outfits, and weekly activities.

• Automate wherever possible, like with subscriptions, bill payments, and workflow.

2. Prioritize big decisions in the morning.

Since mental energy is highest in the morning for most people, schedule high-stakes decisions early in the day.

• Focus and motivation decline for most people as the day progresses. For most people, peak cognitive function is 90 to 120 minutes after waking up.

• Block out uninterrupted focused time in the mornings for strategic thinking.

• Know your chronotype. Save the most important decisions and meetings for the critical time window when you are most attentive and focused.

• Schedule the most complex decisions before lunch. If you have important decisions later, aim for a low-glycemic-index, medium-sized meals.

3. Use decision frameworks to reduce overthinking and anxiety.

High performers often suffer from analysis paralysis and anxiety—overanalyzing every option and delaying action. Psychotherapy can be helpful to identify harmful underlying patterns of thinking and find ways to overcome them.

4. Limit your daily choices to a “decision budget.”

Think of your mental energy like a bank account. If you spend too much on trivial choices, you won’t have enough for big decisions. Another metaphor is the spoon theory, which helps people with chronic illness or fatigue figure out how to pace their energy expenditure.

• Set a "decision cap" for each day—choose two or three key decisions to focus on.

• Delegate low-impact decisions.

• Batch decisions—handle similar choices at once (e.g., meal prep, emails).

5. Take strategic breaks to reset your mental energy.

Decision fatigue isn’t about time spent working—it’s about unbroken mental strain. Short breaks help restore cognitive function.

• Take 5-10 minute microbreaks every 90 minutes. Effective microbreaks include mindfulness meditation or walking rather than scrolling on social media or being on a screen.

• Use the 20-20-20 rule to prevent digital eye strain from screens: Every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at least 20 feet away.

• Use deep breathing or a 10-minute walk to reset your brain.

• If breaks do not help, consider consulting a therapist since this may be a sign of deeper issues like burnout, anxiety, or depression that require additional treatment.

6. Establish “default” choices to reduce mental load.

Default systems simplify decision-making.

• Pre-set calendar blocks eliminate scheduling fatigue.

• Set meal planning to eliminate daily food decisions.

• Create pre-set responses for common work requests.

• Use standardized workflows for recurring decisions.

Conclusion: Make Better Decisions, Maximize Your Potential

By managing decision fatigue, you can preserve mental energy, reduce stress, and maximize your long-term performance.

The key is to simplify where possible, prioritize big decisions in the morning, take breaks from digital screen time, and use proven frameworks to avoid overthinking and procrastination. With these strategies, you can make fewer—but better—decisions each day.

Marlynn Wei, MD, PLLC Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved.