Do We Suffer From Decision Fatigue, Or Is It Just A Survival Mechanism?
Or, could our brain’s bias to save personal energy result in cutting short the process of evaluating options? Probably. Can we outsmart it? Yes!
The brain is a heavy energy consumer, and glucose is one of the usual energy sources in the brain. The brain’s energy consumption is highest when making decisions, and the amount of energy required depends on the complexity of the decision. The brain has evolved energy-efficient strategies, enabling it to operate with effectiveness, but at lower energy costs. Our brains like to conserve glucose, in what seems to be a primitive survival bias.
A chunk of the energy used in the brain is required for the calculation of action potentials. However, the brain’s energy consumption can be optimized by reframing the energy it expects to use for a decision.
Fool Your Simple Brain Until It Becomes Automatic (i.e. A Habit)
It seems if we over-estimate on purpose the amount of “energy” (time, etc.) we will need to make a decision, we can trick our brains primitive energy bias. This artificial estimation is deliberate. The bias does not appear to be a conscious or self-aware feature, but something which gets triggered (and un-triggered).
For example, if you need to decide on what to eat, tell yourself you will think about it for twenty minutes. Then, it seems from experience, that your brain will calm down the energy monitoring activities that may push for a “as soon as possible” decision.
This trick is geared towards activities you already expect to or committed to do.
( This post is part of a series on Energicial Intelligence. )