Imagine staring at your computer screen for a good hour or two, with multiple browser tabs open, drowning in your thoughts, unable to make a decisive choice on what task you intend to pursue. This intense feeling of being overwhelmed with too many choices is called decision fatigue.

Coined by social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister, the term is defined as “the mental burden that arises from the strain of making multiple decisions.” This phenomenon has been quietly smothering our generation for quite some time and shows no signs of relinquishing its hold on people. Then again, let’s ask ourselves — how did decision fatigue come to be, and why is it such a problem?

Decision fatigue, in the most basic sense, is a heuristic (a cognitive shortcut) that short-circuits an individual’s decision-making ability, leading to certain trade-offs when making choices. Over the past decade, this phenomenon has seeped into the lives of many across the globe, due to the overwhelming number of decisions we face daily.
As the strain of decision-making builds up, the brain begins to seek loopholes or shortcuts to ease the burden — often resulting in poor decisions. Over time, these flippant choices can snowball into habits and
have detrimental consequences in one’s life.

Unresolved decision fatigue can lead to another phenomenon called decision avoidance, where individuals completely dodge making decisions — not out of indifference, but due to the sheer mental exhaustion of having to weigh options. From shopping to eating to making major life decisions, juggling an overwhelming number of choices impairs our self-regulatory abilities.

But this isn’t just an article about decision fatigue from a social psychological standpoint. Let’s also look at how this phenomenon can impact you in a Rotaract setting.

Let’s be honest — we’re all in Rotaract for something. It could be for service, recognition, fellowship, or even personal growth. Often, we lose sight of what Rotaract truly offers: a platform to become the best
versions of ourselves. And much like decision fatigue creeps into our daily lives, it seeps into our roles as Rotaractors too.

Here are a few instances, where I’ve noticed most Rotaractors — myself included — have experienced decision fatigue, and how you can avoid falling into the same trap;

1. Priorities

Whether you’re a general member, an exco member, or even a district director, the key to managing your
time and energy is setting clear priorities. Each day, write down 5–6 tasks at most — spread across your personal, professional, and Rotaract commitments — and work through them at your own pace.

Take something like a project report that’s due in 10 days. Instead of letting it sit in your mind and build pressure, break it down — maybe fill out one section a day. Approaching tasks gradually helps ease mental strain and reduces the number of decisions you have to make under pressure.

This is exactly where decision fatigue becomes relevant. The more unstructured your day is, the more small, draining choices you’ll need to make — from when to start work to what to prioritize first. By
setting clear, manageable goals in advance, you’re effectively conserving your decision-making energy for what really matters — rather than constantly debating with yourself about what to do next.

2. Projects

Imagine being appointed the project chairperson for an upcoming initiative — chances are, the weight of all the decisions waiting to be made will hit you pretty quickly. Feeling overwhelmed is almost inevitable.
One way to ease that pressure is by immediately identifying the tasks that need your attention first. List out the most urgent requirements, set clear and realistic goals for each, and give yourself a timeline. Just as crucial — form your project committee early. Delegating responsibilities not only distributes the workload but also reduces the number of micro-decisions you’ll have to make alone.

This approach directly tackles decision fatigue. When you’re constantly switching between decisions — big or small — it chips away at your mental clarity. By breaking your responsibilities into manageable steps and leaning on a team, you minimize unnecessary choices and preserve your focus for the decisions that actually matter.

3. Participation

We’ve all faced those moments — juggling multiple responsibilities while trying to make it to a Rotaract installation or project. It often leads to a familiar mental tug-of-war: do you push through and attend, or
step back for the sake of your other commitments?
When you find yourself caught in that dilemma, pause and ask yourself a few key questions. Will attending this event put your personal, academic, or professional responsibilities at risk? Do you genuinely want to go, or are you going out of obligation? And perhaps most importantly — what’s your
real reason for attending?

These aren’t just reflective questions — they’re a way to navigate around decision fatigue. The more time you spend agonizing over a choice, especially when you’re already stretched thin, the more it drains your
cognitive energy. Having a set of guiding questions helps reduce that internal back-and-forth, allowing you to make a decision that protects both your time and your peace of mind.

4. People

Rotaract is, at its core, about the people — and it’s the people who can either elevate the experience or complicate it. Like it or not, you can’t really go through Rotaract alone. The movement immerses you in a
large social circle by default, and at some point, you’ll find yourself navigating it whether you want to or not. But here’s the catch: constantly managing a wide range of interactions can wear you down.

The more people you have to please, respond to, or even tolerate, the more mental energy it drains. That’s where decision fatigue quietly creeps in — when the sheer volume of small choices you make daily (who to text back, who to sit with, who to include) begins to chip away at your clarity and sense of self.

Over time, you may start making decisions out of convenience or fear — holding onto people not because they bring you joy, but because it feels easier than cutting ties.

So pause and ask yourself: are you surrounded by people who genuinely add to your life, or are you simply maintaining connections out of habit and hesitation? Trimming a social circle isn’t easy, but it’s sometimes necessary. And in Rotaract, not every peer needs to become a close friend — some are simply meant to journey alongside you in the movement, and that’s perfectly okay.

5. Perspective

Perspective is everything — especially when you’re navigating the chaos that often comes with Rotaract. Without it, it’s easy to get swept up in the noise, constantly reacting rather than responding. Cultivating perspective — on both your own actions and those of others — helps create a buffer between you and that sense of overwhelm. It allows you to step back, reflect, and make choices with intention rather than impulse.

This is where decision fatigue comes into play. When you’re forced to make too many decisions without enough clarity, the quality of those decisions begins to drop. And without perspective, you lose the ability to filter out what actually matters. It’s like dragging a metal ball chained to your foot — slowing you down, exhausting you, and affecting everything from your mental health to your relationships.

Whether in Rotaract or life beyond it, don’t let yourself get buried under the weight of indecision. Prioritize what truly matters, give yourself permission to pause, and face decisions head-on — with clarity, not exhaustion. After all, as Rag’n’Bone Man sings, “you’re only human after all”.