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Show Notes
Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Doctor Is In Series – where we discuss understandings and developments in the field of psychology.
In today’s episode, Chris and Dr. Abbie discuss decision fatigue—how making too many choices throughout the day drains mental energy and affects judgment. They explain how stress and lack of sleep make it worse, how it differs from burnout, and why leaders and parents are especially vulnerable. The episode also shares simple, practical strategies to reduce daily decisions, protect mental energy, and prioritize recovery.
[Mar 2, 2026]
00:00 – Intro
00:56 – Show Updates and Sponsors
02:35 – What Decision Fatigue Is
03:34 – Stress, Sleep, and Mental Energy
05:12 – Mental vs. Physical Limits
07:13 – Decision Fatigue vs. Burnout
10:22 – Leadership, Empathy, and Hard Decisions
14:33 – Prevention: Routines and Breaks
20:43 – Advisors and AI Caution
24:38 – Everyday Life and Parenting Load
27:23 – Recovery Outlets and Wrap-Up
28:49 – Closing and Next Month’s Topic (Diet Culture)
Find us online:
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-abbie-maroño-phd
- Instagram: @DoctorAbbieofficial
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherhadnagy
References:
Baumeister, R. F., Bratslavsky, E., Muraven, M., & Tice, D. M. (1998). Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(5), 1252–1265. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.5.1252
Baumeister, R. F., & Tierney, J. (2011). Willpower: Rediscovering the greatest human strength. Penguin Press.
Danziger, S., Levav, J., & Avnaim-Pesso, L. (2011). Extraneous factors in judicial decisions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(17), 6889–6892. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1018033108
Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience, 15(5), 689–695. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3093
Fleming, S. M., & Dolan, R. J. (2012). The neural basis of metacognitive ability. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 367(1594), 1338–1349. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2011.0417
Hagger, M. S., Wood, C., Stiff, C., & Chatzisarantis, N. L. D. (2010). Ego depletion and the strength model of self-control: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 136(4), 495–525. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019486
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.