Limiting your decisions can help you avoid decision fatigue. While you’re usually aware of when you’re physically exhausted, many of us can’t tell when we’re worn out from making decision after decision all day long.

Seriously, think of everything you have to decide on throughout a typical day. What to wear, what to eat, how to style your hair, what shoes go with what you’re wearing, how much you should layer up before heading outside, what to pack for lunch. And these are just a few of the things you need to figure out before work when an endless stream of decisions have to be made, all day long.

Sounds exhausting doesn’t it.

Well, turns out, limiting the number of decisions you make each day is beneficial overall.

So, today I wanted to touch on why I have a morning routine that’s pretty much the same thing each day. It’s what works for me, gets me ready for the day and helps save my brain power for the more important things that need to be decided on later in the day.

For the most part, I get up at the same time every day. I let myself sleep in a little more on my period, but having my alarm set at 6 a.m. every day allows me to start my day with the important task of taking my basal body temperature.

After that, I usually go to the bathroom and then go back to make my bed. I used to never make my bed when I was younger, but now it’s one of the first steps in my morning tidying routine that mentally sets me up for the day.

Then I head out into the kitchen to finish cleaning up from the day before. I also get the kettle going for tea and oatmeal. While that’s going I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and do my skincare.

From there I head into the back bedroom where my closet and desk are. I pick out what I’m going to wear. Lately, it's one of two pairs of jeans, and one of three sweaters.

Thanks to having a capsule wardrobe what I have to choose from is pretty small and makes getting dressed effortless. Never do I feel like I have “nothing to wear” anymore. Nor do I spend more than 30 seconds picking out what to wear.

If you’re not into the whole “uniform” thing and have more to choose from, try picking out your outfit the night before so you can just throw it on in the morning and get going.

When I lived with my parents after graduation and went to two jobs each day I would pack my lunch the night before. I would love to get into the habit of meal prepping but I haven’t made it to that point yet. But how nice would it be to just do it all one day and then each day you just had to pull a meal out of the fridge and go?

From there I sit down at my desk with my planner and write down the four or five most important things I need to do that day. (This can also be done the night before, but I like doing it first thing). And from there I just start in on the first task without worrying too much about it.

Everyone is different but simplifying my routine in the morning and just knowing what I’m going to do makes it much easier to get into the mindset of work, and then have the energy to be able to make big decisions while working instead of blowing that on menial tasks that don’t really matter.

How do you cut down on the number of decisions you make in the morning?