Decision Fatigue: When You’re Tired of Thinking

 Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and realized you’re not just physically tired — you’re tired of thinking? In this episode, I’m talking about decision fatigue, the kind of mental exhaustion that comes from constantly having to think, decide, remember, and respond. If you’ve been feeling mentally overloaded, overstimulated, or just plain tired of thinking, this episode will help you put language to what you’re feeling, and encourage you to create more space for your mind to rest. 

Transcript

Have you ever felt tired of thinking? Like you’ve gotten to the end of the day and realized you’re not just physically tired — you are literally tired of thinking. Tired of having to make decisions, remember things, respond to things, and keep track of what still needs to be done. I’ve been feeling this way lately. 

And I’ve realized that a lot of what I’ve been experiencing is decision fatigue. It’s that mental exhaustion that comes from having to think all the time. So let’s talk about it. 

You’re listening to Making Space for Me, a podcast for women who carry a lot, give a lot, and are learning how to care for themselves, prioritize their needs, and create a life that truly supports their well-being. I’m your host, Otanthia Williams-Brady, and welcome. 

What I’ve noticed is that sometimes what wears you down isn’t just the day itself — it’s how much your mind had to carry to get through the day. 

Like for me, at work, I make serious decisions all day. Decisions that matter, decisions that affect people, decisions that require judgment, focus, and attention. And then I come home, and there are still more decisions waiting for me. Caregiving decisions, health-related decisions, household decisions, financial decisions, future life decisions — just all the decisions. 

And after a while, it adds up. 

And just like your body can become fatigued, so can your mind. It can become fatigued from holding too much, from being responsible for too much, from being the place everything has to pass through before it gets handled. And I think a lot of women live in this state more than they realize. 

You know that feeling where one more question feels like a lot, one more decision feels draining, and one more interruption just gets under your skin more than it normally would. And what can make it harder is that a lot of it goes unseen. 

People can see your tasks. They can see what got done, but they can’t see what your mind had to carry in order for any of it to happen. They don’t see the constant thinking, the remembering, the anticipating, the figuring things out. But your body feels it. Your mind feels it. Your nervous system feels it. 

And that’s what I’ve been paying more attention to lately, because I had one of those moments recently. It was following a few weeks of just life being life. I got home, and I could feel that I was wound up and overstimulated. My nervous system felt like it was in overdrive, and I knew I needed a minute to come down — like my whole system needed to stop, breathe, and release. 

And essentially, I just did that. 

I laid down. I did some nervous system regulation, put my phone on silent, and I took a nap. And when I woke up, I felt better. Not because everything in my life had changed in that 40 minutes, but because I gave my mind and body a moment to come down. 

And I think that’s important, because sometimes our ability to keep going becomes the very reason we don’t stop. 

But I’ve learned the hard way that just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. 

Because there are times when what you really need is a break. A break from input, a break from answering, a break from deciding, a break from being needed. And many women rarely get that mental break. Their bodies are in bed, but their minds are still working. 

A lot of us need permission to recognize that. To recognize that mental overload is real, to recognize that decision fatigue is real, to recognize that the mind, like everything else, has a capacity. 

And I understand life is full, and there are things you can’t just cut out or disregard, even if you wanted to. I get that. You’re the leader of the ship. Things have to get figured out, and you are the figure-it-out person. 

But you also have to remember that everything needs a time, a place, and a space. 

So if you’ve been feeling mentally cluttered, irritable, overstimulated, or just plain tired of thinking, pay attention to that. Your mind may be asking for support. That support can look different for different people. 

Maybe that looks like reducing one unnecessary decision. For me, I wear the same thing to work every day. Not because it’s required, but because I basically put myself in a uniform, because it means I don’t have to figure out what I’m wearing every morning. 

Maybe it looks like stepping away for a minute. The people who need you and feel like they can’t make a decision without you will be all right for a few minutes while you take a moment for yourself. 

Maybe it looks like silence. No scrolling, no emails, no checking anything. Just quiet. Nothing for your brain to process. 

Maybe it looks like not forcing yourself into a decision immediately. I’ve gotten really good at saying, “I’ll let you know,” or “I’ll think about it,” and kind of processing things in my own time. 

Maybe it looks like putting people on your schedule. People will make you feel like everything needs to be done or figured out right now, and it doesn’t. Put it on your schedule. Tell them, “We’ll deal with this at this time.” 

Whatever it is, let it count, because your mind deserves care too. 

Being well is not just about caring for your body. It’s also about caring for the part of you that carries it all. 

Thanks for listening to Making Space for Me. I hope this resonated. Until next time, be gentle with yourself and keep making space for you.