GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Experts say your brain makes more than 35,000 decisions a day. It’s something you may not be aware of, but the decision-making process can affect your mental health.

From the moment you wake up to the moment you close your eyes at night, you make thousands of decisions, large and small.

What’s for dinner? What do I wear? Should I go to the gym?

Experts say the weight of answering these questions day after day can get heavier.

Experts say decision fatigue and mental exhaustion can result from stress, but also from feeling overwhelmed and lack of sleep.

“For example, if you are a single parent or make most of the decisions at work, you may find yourself struggling to make those choices more often,” said Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

Because decision fatigue can increase over time, it can be difficult to recognize. Psychologists say there are warning signs:

• Suspension
• decision avoidance
• impulsive decisions
• irritability
• Brain fog and confusion

To help you beat decision fatigue, experts say you should create a routine that helps you know what to expect each day.

Limit your options, such as having some meal ideas.

Prioritize decisions.

Meanwhile, research shows that we make our best decisions first thing in the morning.

Delegate some decisions. Maybe let the kids decide what to wear in the morning, or let your spouse decide what to have for dinner.

Experts say this takes the pressure off and disrupts some of the decisions you need to make that aren’t that important.

Copyright 2024 WBAY. All rights reserved.