India, May 30 -- After years of working in mental health, I have come to recognise a subtle but significant pattern: Mental exhaustion is often not a result of effort, but of excess decision-making. From the moment we wake, the brain is engaged in continuous evaluation. What to prioritise, how to respond, what to choose next. Each decision, however small, draws from the same finite pool of cognitive energy. Over time, this leads to depletion, reducing clarity, increasing stress, and impairing our ability to make considered choices.

Decision fatigue is not a lack of discipline. It is a reflection of cognitive overload. The nervous system is designed for efficiency. When it is required to process constant choices, it remains in a heightene...