Do You Suffer from Decision Fatigue? Here Are Ways to Combat it…

by Chantai Snellgrove Print This Article

Parenting Special Needs Podcast Ep 31: Decision Fatigue

Episode #31: Do you suffer from decision fatigue?

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Do you suffer from decision fatigue? Here’s Help on today’s Podcast

The other day, a friend and I “jinxed” each other by saying, “I DON’T want to make another decision!!” at the same time.

What you will learn in this podcast:

What is decision fatigue exactly?
How can you overcome or beat decision fatigue?
One of the best strategies successful people use to work around their decision fatigue
A few things that worked for me in my personal life and with my kiddo.
Recap and best practices for combatting decision fatigue

Simplify the choices you need to make through the day by turning small decisions into routines.

What is decision fatigue exactly?

[2:17] As a person makes decisions throughout the day, the brain depletes its limited amount of mental stamina, and starts employing one of two shortcuts.

How can you overcome or beat decision fatigue?

[2:46] Simplify the choices you need to make through the day?

Curious minds and decision fatigue brains what to know?

QUESTION: Decision Fatigue can anyone help me with these two questions. If not can you recommend a professional, we could ask?

Can being constantly bombarded by questions or a child that perseverates cause fatigue or decision fatigue brain? If so, any suggestions or quick tips to help?

Answers by a few Professionals:

ADRIENE FERN MSE, ESE, CPM
Director Of Family Services at PALM BEACH SCHOOL FOR AUTISM INC
I agree there is decision fatigue. A helpful strategy leans on a partner, family member, or friend to assist in making decisions. The burden of having to make decisions solely is a major contributing factor to brain/decision fatigue.

Emma Gierschick
AFR 100 Women of Influence 2018. Woman of the Year 2019. Children with a disability specialist. White Ribbon Advocate
Absolutely – it’s exhausting and sooooo much easier to just give in or get frustrated (which doesn’t help anyone)
I try asking my daughter to ‘show me’ what she’s trying to say or use Pec’s images to demonstrate what is happening.
It’s generally worse if she’s feeling anxious so I try to calm and reassure her and give her emergency bush flower essences too.

Remy Nirschl
Writer & Mentor – Self Development
Absolutely! IT’s called anxiety. So many decisions to make regarding health, school, and making the “right” one can leave parents losing sleep and the immune system crashing. Caregivers need to remember to give care to themselves through exercise, eating right, journaling, talking things out, not burying their emotions.

Meme Hieneman, Ph.D., BCBA
Positive Behavior Support Applications

I don’t know who else to refer you to, so I will do my best to respond from a behavior analytics perspective. When we are barraged with the same stimuli for long periods of time, we get desensitized to them. It is much like people who work in noisy environments; they no longer hear the noise. We are also motivated to make aversive stimuli (i.e., repeated questioning) stop. That is why we will give in to nagging or give pat answers. The goal is simply to get the behavior to stop, even if just for the time being. The problem is that responding often reinforces the child’s behavior, setting up a vicious cycle. If you try to ignore for a while and then finally give in, you have just reinforced an even higher level of the behavior. A child learns that, if they persist long enough, they will get the reaction they are seeking.

It is important to understand the function of perseverative talk. Is it for attention? Is it self-stimulatory? Does getting a response to relieve discomfort (e.g., anxiety)? Knowing the purpose helps us plan our response. If attention, we should respond to reasonable and varied conversation, structure opportunities for positive attention, and ignore repetitive talk. If it is to relieve anxiety, visuals that provide the answers might help. If it is self-stimulatory, our responses won’t make a difference because the behavior is rewarding in and of itself.

Those are my behavioral interpretations 🙂

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