Oftentimes, primary caregivers - moms and dads make decision after decision every single day.
Even simple things like - what’s for lunch today, who is going where today, who has what going on this week, when and how will these be taken care of etc., mundane things, which we don’t even register as decisions - are tiring us out.
It is not physical fatigue. It's mental fatigue. Subconsciously, our decision-making abilities go from being intentional decision making to being on autopilot. Without realizing it, one or the other party becomes the default decision-maker. And then comes the crisis of dealing with a ton of mental load. Mental exertion. Mental exhaustion.
For example: If you are the one planning a trip - researching where to go, budgeting how much you can spend, looking for good deals, reading reviews, ensuring there is something for every household member, buying tickets and booking hotels, filling out forms, planning the days, places to visit, places to eat at, etc.
The person taking care of all this - most of the time - is so focused on these aspects, they forget to enjoy the trip themselves! It is at this point that we could end up making mistakes while making decisions - hopefully, nothing life-changing - but mistakes nevertheless. Decision fatigue has set in by now.
We could stop before it gets to this point though. Maybe if we practice compartmentalization of our responsibilities- the mental load is shared. Thus, decision fatigue doesn’t take over.
🙏
Sweta Shah Sakhpara is a pranic energy therapist and a pranic psychotherapist. She also teaches mindfulness and meditation to kids, adults and families. When she is not doing any of the above, she actively practices being a mindful parent to two kids.
Having learned and practiced pranic healing for ~fifteen years, Sweta has been blessed with the trust of many clients for ailments as simple as a headache to complex ones like Tourette’s syndrome, from depression and anxiety to finding ways to embrace the idea of a new normal with a child being diagnosed on the spectrum. You could read more about her HERE.
