Decision fatigue occurs when you make too many choices in a short period of time. Making multiple, small decisions throughout the day or week can leave you feeling tired or unable to make clear judgments. While the science behind decision fatigue is still not fully understood, you can still take preventative steps to ease stress and lower the risk of burnout.

Decision fatigue generally occurs towards the end of the day, particularly on long or stressful days when you make many choices. Some signs are:

• Impulse buying

• Inability to think clearly

• Procrastination

• Lack of or slow decision-making

• Irritability

Here are a few tips to reduce and prevent decision fatigue.

• Create simple routines. By creating simple daily or weekly routines, you are simplifying the decision-making process. Consider what needs to be done each day, like choosing your clothes for work, and create a system, like setting them out the night before to start your day off right.

• Meal plan. What to make for dinner is a recurring decision that can be easily streamlined. Consider planning your meals a week or even a month in advance. This will help ease stress and provide an opportunity to make more health-conscious decisions.

• List your priorities for the week. Start your week by deciding what’s important. For example, you need to buy milk and fill the car with gas before Friday. You would also like to catch up on laundry, but that isn’t a priority. By listing what’s essential, you can avoid some of the decision-making that comes with daily agendas.

• Make time for self-care. Taking care of yourself is vital for avoiding decision fatigue. Take breaks throughout the day and consider making a self-care schedule. For tips on fitting self-care into your calendar, check out Creating a Self-Care Schedule.

• Ask yourself if it can wait. Sometimes, decisions that seem important can wait until you are more well-rested or have more time. Consider what would happen if you waited until the next day. For example, your child wants to spend the night at a friend’s house the following week, but you haven’t looked at your calendar. Waiting until the following day to give your answer likely won’t change the outcome, so it can wait.

• Delegate where possible. It’s easy to take on too much responsibility throughout the day. Remember to enlist others for support. Try asking a co-worker for help on a project or ask your spouse to make a decision regarding the kids. Seeking support is one of the best ways to maintain your overall mental health and avoid decision fatigue.