7/23/2015

Are you suffering from Decision Fatigue?

I was going through my wardrobe the other day trying to squeeze a slot for my new purchase when I decided to take a good look at what is lurking in there and to remind myself what not to buy in the near future. I don't like repeats and I always regret bringing home something I thought doesn't exist in my tiny universe but end up coming to terms with something similar hanging in there with the price tag intact. Could this be the beginning of Alzheimer? Anyway, I sort them into 2 piles: the casual and the going out piles. Then for each pile, I make a note of the colours and types of clothings I have and find out what colours of my seasons are missing in black and white. I suggest everyone with a wardrobe take inventory every 3 months to avoid impulse purchases or duplications.

As you would have known if you follow my posts, I am diagnosed with diabetes which means a large part of my days are spent on meal planning, portion control, counting carbs and of course shopping at supermarkets. I understand I have limited energy so I'd rather invest my brain cells on creating and adapting to my new diet and lifestyle than trying to work out what to wear everyday. It is just too much! Not that I don't care about my appearance but any kind of decision-making (big or small) is taxing on the nerves. I just have better things to worry about than clothes at this stage. By taking stock of what I have already got, I can pare down decisions. All of my favourite garments are neatly hanged up in front of me and my memory of different outfits put together in the past is all in prints I can refer to anytime, I no longer have to suffer from decision fatigue / mental exhaustion. To be honest, thinking of what to eat or what to wear is stressful. I am already driving myself nuts trying to control my blood glucose level through a new diet so having outfits already created, tried and tested, is indeed liberating and mind-freeing!

Are you concerned about being seen wearing something 2 days in a row? Tell me who on earth put their jeans or sweater or scarf into the wash after wearing it once. Being a person who likes to be prepared 'just in case'? I can  always buy what I really need when the need arises. And to be brutally honest, no one really cares what you wear on a daily basis. What makes you think that you are the centre of the earth when everyone lives in their tiny bubble and have better concerns than looking at you? And even if you get unsolicited comments from others, what they think is none of your business and it is their problem if they don't like it. Remember you are not a paid model walking down runways for the sake of marketing the latest design, you decide on your own personal style which reflects your needs and your lifestyle. 

I personally find that a smaller wardrobe i.e. having fewer choices is better as far as decision-making is concerned and I tend to get my creativity juice running too when options are limited. Enough is enough you know, as long as you have your basic essentials covered and be daring to mix and match, you get so much more than bringing Zara home.

Let me know how you are getting on after trying the above.