Several years ago, I wrote a column on decision-making and how it is influenced by brain fatigue. As I am working today with people trying to decide whether to move to a retirement community, I have become aware of how much the number of decisions to be made can become overwhelming: Should we move? Why, when, where, and especially what to do with all our stuff? The result is “I am not ready to make a decision,” which, in fact, is a decision to stay put.
We are not always aware of the non-stop choices which encumber our brains during our daily activities. For instance, we start the day with: Jump out of bed or snooze a while longer? Shower now or later? Regular or decaf? Whole eggs or whites only?
Then we continue throughout the day with: buy now or wait for a sale, paper or plastic, wash or dry-clean, chocolates or flowers, book or magazine, strength training or cardio, keep driving or ask for directions, cash or credit, speak up or keep quiet, go out or stay home? The list can go on ad infinitum.
We are bombarded with constant decision-making, and our brains get tired. This explains why ordinarily sensible people buy junk food, splurge on unnecessary items, or procrastinate. Our brains begin to look for short cuts either by acting impulsively, not thinking through consequences, or by saving energy by doing nothing—avoiding making any decision—which could also lead to unintended consequences. Becoming aware that our brains are beginning to function by default, we can postpone whatever decision we were about to make. If your need is to decide now, give your brain some glucose and you’re good for another hour or so.
Decision-making uses energy. The more energy we use to avoid temptation (such as ordering dessert), the less energy we will have to avoid other temptations, so we may end up eating half that box of chocolates.
Researchers followed newly engaged couples registering for wedding gifts—after deciding on flatware, glasses, towels, and sheets—the exhausted couples just pick whatever is displayed, stop making choices, and agree with whatever the salesperson suggests. The more options, the quicker brain fatigue sets in and we choose the default option, which is to stop making decisions.
We can override the brain’s tendency to go on default by making our unconscious conscious. We can make our important decisions early in the day or just after eating. When I am sorting through papers deciding what to keep and what to throw out, I have become aware that I am better able to get rid of my old documents in the morning than in the afternoon when I tend to hold on to them. Also, taking a break to pursue a different activity can reset our brains for a while longer.
In an experiment involving the timing of paroles given or refused, 1,100 decisions were analyzed over the course of a year. Prisoners who appeared in front of the judges early in the morning received parole 70% of the time, while those who appeared late in the day were paroled less than 10% of the time. The fatigued judges chose the default option: keep the prisoner in jail.
What experimenters tried to do next was to see whether the brain can be made to function even when fatigued. Since the brain lives on glucose (sugar), increasing glucose could reverse the brain’s propensity to stop deciding and give it a burst of energy. The prisoners who normally would have that 10% chance of getting paroled by appearing in the afternoon were taken in front of judges who had just eaten, and got approved 60% of the time. Knowing this, judges should find the opportunity to snack before their brains turn off. Even the wisest of people won’t make good choices when their glucose is low.
This explains the dieter’s problem with willpower. We start off by not eating the doughnut for breakfast, but by dinner we have no willpower left to refuse the tempting dessert. The Catch-22 is that in order not to eat, the dieter needs willpower, but in order to have willpower, the dieter needs to eat. The brain needs a sugary pick-me-up, a piece of fruit or a cookie, not a diet beverage.
So don’t make decisions late in the day nor on an empty stomach. The best decision makers are the ones who know when not to trust themselves. So now we have a good excuse for that piece of chocolate mid-afternoon.