Episode 303: Decoding Decision Fatigue: Authority-Specific Strategies
Feeling overwhelmed by endless choices? Decision fatigue is real—and it’s not just draining your energy; it’s impacting your health and well-being too.
In this episode, we uncover how your Human Design Authority is the ultimate guide to making aligned, stress-free decisions that empower your life. From reducing mental clutter to boosting your physical and emotional health, I’ll share actionable strategies tailored to each of the seven Authorities.
Discover how honoring your Authority can simplify your daily decisions and fuel your long-term vitality. Let’s transform the way you choose, starting today!
Listen to the Episode:
Mentioned in the Episode:
Episode 302: Reimagining New Year’s Resolutions with Human Design
Healthy x Human Design: Decode Your Health Using Human Design
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“As we’ve long established, we’re all unique and that includes how each of our individual intuitions works in each of us. I mean, if we’re all unique, why do we assume – and why is it taught — that intuition works the same for each person? ”
Read the Transcript:
An undervalued but critical skill that's important for every person to have is the ability to make decisions - and not just make decisions, but to have confidence in the decisions that we make.
I have a friend who is notorious for her indecisiveness. It drives everyone crazy, because she takes forever to decide about anything and everything, from minor decisions like where to go for dinner, to big decisions like where to go on vacation.
Decision fatigue is when we're overwhelmed by decisions that we must make for a variety of reasons and it’s something that I think we’ve all experienced at one time or another.
It’s often accompanied with mental exhaustion which happens when we have too many decisions that we're expected to make every single day.
I experience decision fatigue and mental overwhelm when I have too many options to choose from. I’ve used this as an example before, but it’s what I feel every time I walk into Sephora. It’s overwhelming because there's so many products that do the same thing. My experience often goes like this: I walk in, look around, see all the signage above the small, crowded, congested aisles and then I turn around and walk out the door without finding what I was looking for. It feels like a burden on my shoulders, every time.
That’s one example, but the reality is, we make dozens, maybe even hundreds, of decisions every day.
What to eat -- for each meal. And just for each meal, what will be the main dish? What to drink with the meal. Will you have dessert? What time will you eat each meal?
What will I wear today? What shoes will best match my outfit? Will I need a jacket?
What route will I take to work? What lane should I drive in? Am I going to beat this stoplight or should I stop? Or should I take public transportation? Or walk?
Will I respond to this email or text message? How will I respond to it?
Every action, or inaction that you make, big and small, is a choice that results in a decision. When I was growing up my mother always said that every choice has a reward or a consequence. So, your decisions have rewards or consequences, and the results of your decisions have a direct impact on your productivity and effectiveness – I can list a chain effect on how productivity and effectiveness impact stress levels.
Your decisions also impact your health, whether it be your physical health, mental, emotional, or social health.
The simple decision of, “Will I work out today” has sub-decisions – what workout should I do? How long can I work out? What level of intensity should I target? Am I going to stretch before my workout? Should I take some time to cool down which might make me late for work?
Who will I engage with on social media today? What will I engage with? How will I engage with them?
Sometimes your decisions are impulsive, and sometimes you might suffer from decision paralysis. We experience both at different times and in different situations.
But the key to making decisions that are aligned with who you are, what you hold to be important (your values) and what's going to move you forward towards who you want to be and what you want for yourself is to make aligned decisions.
And you make aligned decisions by following your intuition.
Now, I always found, and I'm using air quotes here, “following my intuition” to feel ambiguous. It wasn't something that I could connect to no matter how many books or blog posts I read about it, or how many talks or podcasts I listened to.
I didn't get it, because the way that it was taught didn’t seem to work for me. That is, until Human Design.
As we've long established, we’re all unique and that includes how each of our individual intuitions works in each of us. I mean, if we’re all unique, why do we assume – and why is it taught -- that intuition works the same for each person?
Everything that I read all talked about intuition in the same way -- follow your gut, follow your feeling, follow your instincts. My friend, these are all very different things.
Following your gut, feelings or instincts are not the same things, and this is what makes Human Design resonate. Human Design is really specific for each individual about how to follow your intuition in the way that you’re meant to.
This is one of the best things about Human Design because Human Design is described as our roadmap that guides us on how to manage our energy, but it also shows us how our individual intuition works – in other words, how we're meant to make decisions. It’s called your “Authority”, and your Authority is the way your unique intuition works and how you’re meant to make decisions that are aligned with yourself.
Now, if you've been listening to this podcast for a while, then you’ve likely already familiar with Human Design Authorities and likely already know what your Authority is, as I’ve done several episodes and even a series on Human Design Authorities.
But today, I want to offer you strategic tips for each of the Authorities and how following it can help you combat decision fatigue. We're going to go through each of the seven Authorities, and I'm going to give a brief recap of what each Authority is, and then I'm going to give you a strategic tip for each Authority to make aligned decisions so you can avoid decision fatigue and mental overwhelm and grow confident and build trust in your decision-making abilities.
First in the order of operations is always the Emotional Authority. If you have an Emotional Authority, you can find clarity to make aligned decisions when you’re in between emotional waves.
Now, I'm going to assume that if you have an Emotional Authority, you know what your emotional waves are – cliff notes version, it’s when you’re experiencing extreme emotions - high or low.
When you’re experiencing emotional waves that is NOT the correct time for you to make decisions. In other words, impulsive and spontaneous decisions aren’t correct for you.
Instead, wait till you’re “in-between waves.” When you’re calm, collected, feeling even-keeled and not on an emotional roller coaster – that’s when you’ll have emotional clarity to follow your feelings.
So, my tip for you is to wait for that emotional neutrality before making decisions. And you can do this by observing and capturing what your emotional highs and emotional lows feel like.
This is important because, as I’ve talked a lot about differentiation in other episodes, if you don't know what your emotional highs and lows feel like, how will you differentiate it with emotional neutrality?
So, it's important for Emotional Authorities to practice self-observation – keep a journal, either a handwritten one in a cute notebook or on an app. The act of writing (or typing) it out is reflective, as well as serving as something you can refer to later.
Second in the order of operations is the Sacral Authority. If you have a Sacral Authority, make decisions by following your gut. Your gut responses are what guide you. It's about those butterflies in or the dread sinking feelings in your belly. Unlike Emotional Authorities, impulsivity and spontaneity is correct for Sacral Authorities, because gut responses are instant.
The key for Sacral Authorities is to understand that the gut is binary. Its responses are “yes or no”, “this or that.” It's either a “hell yes” or a “hell no” – there’s no in-between.
So, when you’re facing a decision to be made, ask binary questions and see how your gut responds.
Don’t ask, “What should I wear today?” instead, ask, “Should I wear jeans or a skirt?”
Don’t ask, “What should I have for lunch?” instead, ask, “Should I have soup or a salad?”
Don’t ask, “What route should I take to work today?” instead ask, “Should I take the freeway or back roads?”
Not, “what workout should I do today? Instead, “Should I go for a run or do some yoga?”
Binary questions. Yes or no. This or that.
And as you ask your binary question, follow your gut’s immediate response to guide your decision. It's either a “hell yes” or a “hell no” – there’s no in-between for Sacral Authorities.
Third in the order of operations is the Splenic Authority.
Having a Splenic Authority means that you’re guided by intuitive hits that come instantly in the moment.
I have a Splenic Authority, and I find it kind of hard to explain which is the essence of the Splenic Authority because the intuitive hits you receive may be illogical and unexplainable, but you just know it’s the correct decision to be made.
It’s a knowing that’s often quiet and fleeting so you must be ready to capture it the moment it hits because as soon as it lands, it can be gone.
It’s intuition in its purest, primal form. A quiet knowing.
The best advice I can share for Splenic Authorities is to trust your first instinct, your first inclination and don’t second guess yourself.
All this being said, it’s important for Splenic Authorities to practice mindfulness to be able to hear the quiet knowings and recognize the Splenic hits. Stay inward, within yourself – it’s very inward looking.
Next in the order of operations is the Self-Projected Authority. If you have this Authority, clarity comes when you're able to hear your own voice which means, speaking things out loud and talking it out.
So, talk about the decision to be made – voice out the options. Discuss with a trusted someone, and if you don't have a trusted someone talk out loud to yourself.
A key point to understand is that if you talk to a trusted someone, you both need to understand that your trusted someone’s thoughts, opinions or feedback is irrelevant to your decision-making. They’re simply there to be your soundboard.
And if you don't have a trusted someone, use a voice recording app on your phone. Or talk to Siri – she’ll listen to you! You can use the voice typing feature in Google Docs under the Tools tab.
Next is the Ego Authority. Like the Self-Projected Authority, it's also important for Ego Authority people to speak things out. The difference here is the purpose and intention.
With the Ego Authority, you don’t need a sounding board, you're speaking things out, to uncover what you truly desire the most, to get to the heart of the matter (hence why it’s connected to the Heart Center.) Following your heart will reveal to you what the aligned decisions are to make.
And so again, have a trusted someone to speak to, use a voice-recording app or write things - whatever you can do to peel back the layers and to get to the heart of the matter.
Ask yourself, “Is this that I truly desire? Does it align with what I truly want?” It’s a focus on self-motivation.
I mentioned in the last episode, Episode 302, that my friend Nadia Gabrielle (frequent past guest on the show) gifted me a book called “The Desire Map” by Danielle LaPorte.
It's all about uncovering and mapping your goals to your true desires. I think this book is perfect for those with an Ego Authority.
Next is the Mental Authority. Some call it the Environmental Authority, because it’s about being in a neutral environment clears out confusion, so that there’s mental clarity to make aligned decisions.
So, the environment that you’re in when making decisions is crucial for Mental Authorities.
I interviewed Janelle Turner back in Episode 207 on what it’s like to have a Mental Authority, and she shared how she goes outside into nature when she’s faced with a big decision. For her, that’s where she feels the most clarity.
Another option is to put yourself in your Human Design Environment – the spaces or places where you thrive best.
For example, if you have a Mountains environment, you can literally go to the mountains, or you can create a Mountains environment in the spaces that you currently occupy -- your home, workplace, the places you play – the idea is to be in a place or space where you feel mentally clear to know what is the aligned decisions are for you to make.
And then last, and never least, is the Lunar Authority. Some call it “No Authority”, which I think is rather rude. The Lunar Authority is for Reflectors as Reflectors are the only ones with this authority.
Like the Emotional Authority, spontaneity and impulsivity is not for Lunar Authorities. If this is your Authority, you’re meant to follow the moon cycle. So, give yourself time and space for self-observation - to observe patterns and external influences that you're subject to. Then use the four phases of the moon to guide you and bring you into the correct timing for your aligned decisions.
It's important for all seven Authorities to take note of all of the smaller decisions that you make every single day. I named a few earlier because when you think about it, you’re literally making decisions almost every minute of the day.
So, take note of those small decisions and practice tuning into your Authority with them every single day.
Obviously, for authorities, like the Lunar Authority, time is required so in those instances, understand what the four phases of the moon cycle are, what each phase is about, and then bring that into the smaller decisions you make every day and see how things unfold and evolve.
For all Authorities, practice self-observation and tune into your Authority every single day.
Another tip to overcome decision-fatigue is to establish boundaries to reduce unnecessary decision-making.
This can look like having habits and routines – doing things that become automatic for you so that you don't even have to think about – the decision has already been made.
For me, this looks like having a smoothie every morning for breakfast. I’ve had a smoothie for breakfast every morning for the past 18 years, maybe longer. When I wake up in the morning, the decision is already made of what breakfast is going to be, reducing a decision that has to be made every day.
For me, it looks like working out at the same time daily – 6:30 am. The workout changes but the allotted time doesn’t. So, this routine starts with my bedtime routine the night prior. If I want to be up and ready to workout at 6:30 am, I have to go to bed by a certain time the night before. More decisions are automatically made.
It can also look like brand loyalty. You find a brand that you love so you don’t have to think about it – you just use the same things from the same brand – decision-fatigue reduced.
And then, thirdly, use whatever tools you have to support yourself, whether it be planners, apps, or trusted someones.
I’ve mentioned in prior episodes about an app that I love and use daily called Don't Break the Chain.” It’s an app to help develop habits, but it does more than that for me. It also helps me track my life: Did I take my medications and supplements today? Did I give my pup Coco Pop her medication today?
It helps me track chores like watering my plants every two weeks.
So instead of trying to remember and recall things in my head, the app tracks it for me. This is just one tool that I use daily to help me reduce mental fatigue and overwhelm.
Emotional Authorities can use a journal or a journaling app, Splenic, Self-Projected, and Ego Authorities can use voice-recording apps. Lunar Authorities can have a moon app or simply use their calendar to track the 28-day moon cycle. Make things easy for yourself.
I know decision fatigue can be debilitating. I talked about my friend being notorious for indecisiveness, and I know that as much as it frustrated us, the frustration and insecurity felt much deeper for her.
At times I experience decision fatigue myself. I know it's hard. I know it can feel debilitating. But it doesn't need to.
Don't let it control your life. Follow your Human Design Authority and use it as a key tool to bring ease and bring you into alignment. Experiment with your Authority. Take the strategies that I've shared today and put them into practice and see how they work for you. Maybe something works, maybe it needs to be tweaked to work for you. You'll never know what’s going to work until you experiment with it. And notice how it impacts your everyday life.
Differentiation is important, not just for Emotional Authorities, but for everyone, so that you can know what it feels like when you’re making decisions without following your Authority, versus what it feels like to follow your Authority and what those aligned choices feel like.
And when you do follow your Authority, notice how much your trust in your decision-making abilities grows and what kind of impact that then has on the confidence you have in yourself.
If you found anything in this episode helpful and you know someone who also struggles with decision fatigue, share this episode with them, because having confidence in yourself to make aligned and correct decisions for you is life changing.
This episode is airing in mid-January – the time of year where everyone's trying to set their New Year's goals. But as I shared in the last episode, Episode 302, New Year's resolutions tend to fail because they aren’t aligned. Often, they’re based on external expectations and conditionings which is why having confidence and trust in yourself to make choices is critical, which is why your Human Design Authority is key, especially in terms of knowing what healthy looks like for each of us and how to live it.
It's not what the latest trends in wellness are. It's not what's the most popular workout right now. It's not what's Jennifer Aniston's diet.
It’s following your unique intuition to know what is correct for you, right now in this phase of your life.
So, if you know someone who's struggling with the things that we talked about today, share this episode with them and encourage them to explore and experiment with their Human Design Authority too.
If this is all new to you, or you want to learn more about Authorities, I cover this in my Human Design Essentials program. I also talk about the role of Authorities and my Eating for Energy program in the context of how it applies to how we feed ourselves. I’ll link to both programs in the show notes.
If you want personalized insight into not just your Authority but all of your Human Design, then I invite you to have a Human Design Reading with me. I give readings through the “Human Design Playbook” offering where you’ll have your design explained in a 60+ page PDF accompanied by your own personalized podcast episode.
So, with that, thank you so much for listening. Thank you for deciding to not just download this episode but spend this time with me and listen to the very end. I appreciate you, and I’ll see you right back here again next time. Bye for now.
Naomi Nakamura is a Health x Human Design coach who’s creating a healthier society through aligned energy.
She blends a bespoke mix of Functional Nutrition and Human Design to help others shift into alignment to leverage and correctly manage their energy to support their body, mind, and spirit.
She believes that when we embrace our authenticity and lean into our bio-individuality, we naturally live a life of freedom, empowerment, and optimal health.
Naomi resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and can often be found exploring the area with her puppy girl, Coco Pop!
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