Decision fatigue can lead to poor thinking, which can affect your career performance and … (+)
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According to various sources, the average adult brain makes a total of 33,000-35,000 decisions per day. Many of these decisions are made when the brain is on autopilot, based on stored information about what works and what doesn’t. However, there comes a point when the brain on autopilot stops working. This is because an exhausted brain can no longer make 35,000+ individual decisions, so it shorts out and takes decision-making offline.
A heart tired of making decisions
When faced with a decision after a long day of work, a tired brain makes the choice it would make after a period of rest. Why? Scientists have discovered a phenomenon called decision fatigue, which occurs when the brain becomes exhausted and runs out of mental energy.
Decision fatigue impairs mental clarity and is why many wage earners have little mental energy left to devote to activities outside of work. After hours of non-stop work, the brain can suffer from cognitive overload, compassion fatigue, and burnout. The longer you work, and the more choices you make during those long work hours, the harder it becomes for a strained mind to make sound decisions.
The more decisions we have to make, the more difficult it becomes to make even simple choices like what to wear, where to eat, how much to spend, and how to prioritize work projects. Mental fatigue can lead to taking shortcuts, like not thoroughly proofreading an important email or backing out of a decision with your team. It can also cause you to be cold to coworkers, eat junk food instead of healthy meals, and neglect exercise. It can even lead to life-or-death issues, like letting your newly licensed teen drive a car on icy roads at night.
6 tips to optimize your “brain function”
Deb Smolenski, senior vice president of wellbeing and engagement at NFP and an expert on human performance and health in the workplace, argues that the most important technology ever known is in your mind. Author of Brain On!: Mental Fitness Strategies for Sharpening Focus, Boosting Energy, and Winning the Workday, Smolenski argues that all you need to do is train your brain. She shared some tips on how to prevent a tired brain from getting in the way of your career and how to optimize your “brain-working mind” to boost your career.
Know your strengths. “Taking the time to recognize what you’re good at and being honest with yourself about areas where you could improve will give you more confidence to face challenges, ask for support from colleagues when needed, and explore new projects and endeavors.”Align your passions and interests with your career path. “It’s important to take a thoughtful and proactive approach to your career path. There will be twists and turns and bumps in the road, so stay flexible. But staying true to what you want to do, your strengths, and what excites and motivates you can avoid the uncertainty that causes anxiety.”Make sure to include happiness milestones in your goals. “There are so many things we measure in the workplace — sales, revenue, profit margins, impressions — but why not include happiness goals? Measuring factors that impact happiness, like starting your day with confidence, having positive interactions with colleagues, or completing mental fitness exercises, creates accountability and supports better behaviors that improve work outcomes.”Practice a growth mindset. “Career growth opportunities can be stressful. Decisions are required, more work comes, new responsibilities come, and expectations are often higher. Exercising your judgment and establishing a baseline for how you want to grow will prepare you for new challenges. This will create clarity, confidence, and optimism, helping you overcome confusion, doubt, and anxiety, leading to more productive career advancement.” Upgrade your emotion control skills. “Everyone reacts, and we’ve all reacted in ways we regret. And sometimes emotions unrelated to work can affect the workplace. Taking the time to think about what triggers an unpleasant reaction can help you respond constructively and productively to difficult moments and avoid the stress that comes with them.” Manage your energy and brain power. “Mindfulness, breathing exercises, and self-reflection exercises. Building white space in your calendar and developing a gratitude habit are just a few of the actions you can take to maintain your energy levels and keep your brain “on” when you need it most. The pace and complexity of life can be challenging, but intentional, consistent habits can help you focus on the things you enjoy and keep you confident and excited about what’s next.”
Faster is not better, and it’s not always the most effective speed for a healthy, clear mind. You might think of multitasking as a way to be more productive, but experts agree that emails, phone calls, and text messages actually make you less focused and productive. It tires your mind and reduces your ability to interact with others and enjoy the moment.
For example, scientists at Stanford University assert that multitasking does more harm than good. Their research shows that people who multitask a lot lose focus, have a harder time blocking out irrelevant information, and experience more stress. To deal with the overload caused by prolonged multitasking, scientists say the brain rewires, fragmenting thoughts, reducing focus, and tiring the brain. As a result, multitaskers take longer to switch tasks and deal with problems less efficiently than non-multitaskers.
Don’t be fooled by what meets the eye. An energized employee appears productive and busy. But scientists explain that while an initial spike in work hours increases productivity, over time, longer hours ultimately decrease productivity. And an 80-hour work week can lead to brain burnout and mental fatigue in less than four weeks.
Our well-being is driven by resilience, preparedness and empowerment, which are also essential for career growth. When employees believe in their ability to take control of their mental well-being and drive improvement, elements of their personal and professional lives are positively impacted.
