Decision fatigue happens when you run out of brainpower to make any useful decisions. Ever felt like that? It’s not surprising when you consider that researchers have estimated that we make 35,000 conscious decisions every day. So how can we streamline our conscious decisions to make things a little easier?

How to Conquer Decision Fatigue

• Limit the number of decisions you have to make each day.

You can limit the number of decisions you have to make each day by deciding a few things in advance. For example, limit your wardrobe by sticking to one basic outfit and color palette and plan your meals in advance. Write out your meal plan, and then don’t think about it. Just stick to it.

• Do projects that require a lot of brainpower in the morning.

You have more decision power in the morning than you do later in the day. You give yourself an advantage when you frontload your day. It’s even better when you make a plan ahead of time so you can jump right in.

• Cut back on decision fatigue by enlisting the help of your family.

Set expectations and give your kids more responsibilities. Ask your older kids to be responsible for putting their own things away. If it’s not put away, it gets donated. Tough love, guys. Create drop zones for younger kids (and allow for a learning curve). Shoes go in the boot tray. Toys go in the toy box. You won’t be searching for things constantly.

• Start living with less stuff so you have fewer decisions to make.

If you know me, you know I’m not a minimalist, and I don’t expect you to be either. While I’m not asking you to get rid of everything, you have to understand that everything needs a place. Creating a donation box where you can toss the stuff that you can’t find a spot for will help you avoid decision fatigue.

I have a list of guided decluttering questions. I use these when I go to client’s houses and ask them over and over again so they internalize the concepts. Get the questions for free below.