What is Decision Fatigue?

What is "Decision Fatigue" and what does it have to do with building scaffolding and routines?

I thought I was clever and had coined the term myself, but it turns out it already exists! You could classify Decision Fatigue as overwhelm, but it’s more specific, and seems to resonate for my coaching clients.

The idea is that on some days (most?), our ADHD brains are operating at a deficit (e.g., slower processing, poor working memory, difficulty filtering out less important information, etc.) when compared to our neurotypical counterparts. Over the course of the day, our ability to make decisions can become more difficult.

If you’re spending your energy on too many day-to-day small decisions like trying to remember your to-dos and your schedule for the day, you may not have the bandwidth for bigger or larger numbers of decisions as the day progresses.

One tool that can reduce decision fatigue is creating routines so that you have fewer decision to make: wake-up, afternoon, evening, you name it. With routines and rituals in place, there is simply less to think about and fewer decisions to make.