At Home Inside and Out

Does it feel like all you do every day is make decision after decision?! If it does, you’re not alone. People make around 35,000 decisions Every. Single. Day!! That’s entirely too many decisions. If you’re tired just reading that number, welcome to the club!

My hope is that this article provides you with practical, easy to introduce habits that will reduce your decision making each week. You won’t realize how much precious time you spent making these “little” decisions until you implement these changes.

I started most of these habits about 7 years ago, and it has honestly changed my life!! They’ve given me peace in the mornings, and time back in my afternoons and evenings. I hope they change your life like they’ve changed mine! Let’s get into it…

On Sunday, pick out your work clothes for the entire week and hang them in a separate section in your closet.

I started doing this back in 2018-2019 and it has helped me SO MUCH. I pick out 5 pants and 5 shirts (or a dress/skirt/blazer if I’m feeling fancy) and I put them on a different rack in my closet. Don’t have a different rack? Get one of those over-the-door wreath hangers and put them there!

You can even go as far as picking out shoes, socks, bra, undies, the whole shabang! It makes mornings a breeze. I can zombie out of bed and not have to use my first decision of the day on what to wear…. Amazing!

Pick out your workout clothes for the week and lay them out

Yep, same habit, different application! If you’re like me and you like to workout during the week, then this tip is for you! Lay out your workout clothes on Sundays for every day of the week. Pick out the socks, shoes, accessories (hi, headband, running belt and compression sleeves). Lay them out on your dresser, in a drawer, on a chair, wherever! Just do it! (See what I did there? Nike? Just do it? Okay, moving on!)

Pick 1 or 2 go-to hairstyles

I started wearing my hair either down or in a claw clip Every. Single. Day. at work and no one cares that it’s the same!! If you’re the type of girl that enjoys blow drying, straightening/curling/crimping, then go for it! But, if you’re like me who literally can’t be bothered with hot tools in the morning, a claw clip is your best friend!!

Whatever it is, pick a couple hairstyles and alternate through those during the week. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be professional and practical!

Keep your evening routine the same.

Check out my practical evening routine that walks you through how to decompress from work and make the most of your evenings!

It’s nice to have a structured, predictable evening that nurtures you, your home, and your relationships. Prioritizing yourself helps reduce your feelings of fatigue!

Grocery shop on-line and Grocery Pick Up/Delivery

I know you’ve heard this one before, but hear me out. The grocery store is SUCH a time suck for me. Once I started online grocery shopping and doing pickup or delivery, I didn’t realize how many hours I was wasting wandering those too bright, crowded aisles. Not to mention how many little decisions I was saving. With online shopping there’s no passing the butter or yogurt and saying “oh wait, do we have enough of those?” Or passing a deal on strawberries and saying “should I get some?” And best of all, no arguing with the kids about getting candy or snacks.

Nope! You automatically reduce decisions by using the app. Whether you’re at home, on your lunch break, or at your kids practice, putting things in your grocery cart saves you time and energy! If you’re not sure if you need something or not, throw it in the cart, and double check the fridge when you get home. Easy!!

Take the same route to work/school/appointments every day

This one seems obvious, but it really helps with decision fatigue! It may take you a little longer to get places, but getting in the car and knowing exactly where you’re going is a special kind of peace. You’re no longer relying on Waze (sorry other map users) to tell you how to get there! You already know exactly where you’re going.

Maybe this one is only mind-blowing to me because I’m a millennial gal who is severely directionally challenged 😅 anyone else relate out there?!

Eat leftovers for lunch

I LOVE this one! I can hear you saying “but Ryan, leftovers are gross! Ew food that has sat in a temperature regulated space for 17 hours. Yuck!”

Girl… I’m sorry, but get over it! You either make double the decisions and spend double the time making and eating different food for lunch, OR you suck it up and eat some dang fajitas for two days in a row. You’ll save yourself at least 5 decisions every week and at least 2.5 hours (30 mins per meal).

Just try it for a week, and if you hate it, tell me that I’m wrong in the comments! I can handle it. 😉 or, you can say “Wow, Ryan! You changed my life, I’m eternally grateful.” I can handle that too! lol.

Now that I’ve fired up the anti-leftover crowd, let’s wrap this up! We make ENTIRELY too many decisions in a day. You can take your time and your peace back by implementing 1 or 2, or all of these tips (if you’re an overachiever like me) and let me know in the comments which one helped you the most!

If you want some ideas on breakfasts that reduce decision fatigue, see my article here!

I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me. You got this, you’re not alone, and it does get easier.

All my love,

Ryan