ADHD affects millions worldwide and presents unique challenges, such as decision fatigue. This form of exhaustion stems from the relentless need to make choices and can be particularly overwhelming for individuals with ADHD.
I’ll walk you through some practical strategies to combat decision fatigue, enabling you to make choices with ease and preserve your mental energy for what truly matters.
You with me? Read on!
Tested Methods
Simplify Your Choices
Prioritize Your Decisions: Begin each day by identifying the most crucial decisions you need to make. I start my mornings by jotting down the top three decisions for the day in my planner. This approach not only clears my mind but also ensures that I address the most impactful choices first, reducing the clutter of less critical decisions that can wait.
Break It Down: When faced with a complex decision, I mentally break it into smaller, more manageable components. Even more complex? I might spend some time mind-mapping or sketching. I can explore ideas more deeply with visuals present. These methods significantly reduce any overwhelm and help enhance my focus.
Harness Automation
Templates and Checklists: I use templates and checklists extensively to standardize responses and streamline actions. For instance, my email templates save me from reinventing responses to common inquiries.
Automation Tools: I rely on Make Scenarios and Apple Shortcuts to automate routine tasks like scheduling file management tasks and processing data. This saves a tremendous amount of mental energy, which I can then allocate to more significant decisions.
Delegate to Elevate
Empower Others: Delegating decisions can be a game-changer, especially when you don’t even have to delegate to a human! I often assign the task of choosing blog post topics to my content management tool, which uses trending data to select topics that effectively engage my audience.
Set Boundaries: It’s crucial to define what decisions you’re comfortable delegating. I set clear boundaries by only delegating non-critical decisions, like choosing the color scheme for a new banner, which ensures I maintain overall control while reducing stress.
Embrace Breaks
Micro-breaks: I take short, five-minute breaks every half hour to stretch and refocus. These breaks are essential for resetting my decision-making capabilities. It’s also a good idea to give your eyes a rest.
Mindful Moments
Daily Practices: Engaging in daily mindfulness practices such as meditation and simple breathing exercises helps me clear my mind. Each morning, I try to spend 10 minutes meditating, which sharpens my focus for the day ahead. It doesn’t have to be 10 minutes though. Even two will do if that’s all I can get.
Reflection: Regular journaling has been instrumental in helping me understand my decision-making patterns and triggers. This reflection leads to more mindful and effective choices. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post exploring my journaling practice, and how you can benefit from starting one, no matter what you do!
Strategic Planning
Scheduled Decision Time: I do my best to keep some open time in my calendar for making decisions, usually when I’m most alert and focused, which is typically in the mid-morning.
Advance Preparation: I gather all necessary information in advance to facilitate informed and relaxed decision-making. This preparation might involve compiling data the night before a big meeting or outlining the potential outcomes of a decision.
Prioritize Your Well-Being
- Consistent Sleep Patterns: I aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. I know I have more executive function energy when I get more deep sleep. Of course, this is easier said than done. Between running a business as a solopreneur and the unpredictable nature of being a parent, I can’t say I have the best track record. Still, I do my best, and I try not to beat myself up if I miss the mark.
Regular Physical Activity: Regular exercise boosts both mood and focus. I incorporate a brisk walk into my morning routine when possible. I find it enhances my decision-making abilities throughout the day.
Overcome ADHD Decision Fatigue
Overcoming Decision Fatigue with ADHD
While decision fatigue is a common struggle for those of us with ADHD, adopting these strategies can significantly alleviate your cognitive burden. By simplifying tasks, leveraging automation, and caring for your mental and physical health, you can enhance your decision-making skills and lead a more productive and less stressful life.
Remember though, everything I mentioned takes time and discipline. I didn’t add all of these things into my routines at once, and I’m not amazing at all of them. I just try my best every day.
My Advice
Start small, and remember to forgive yourself whenever you forget, or really aren’t feeling up to it. It’s really easy to lose motivation if you’re too hard on yourself.
