If you’re feeling especially bombarded by Black Friday deals this year, you’re not alone. Black Friday burnout is real – so we've tracked down some expert advice to help you make sense of what 'decision fatigue' is and how to avoid it.
Black Friday sales started earlier than ever this year. Amazon declared a full Black Friday Week and launched early deals before that back in November, while many major retailers have stretched their Black Friday sales into month-long promotions.
- 58% of consumers describe holiday shopping as stressful, according to Deloitte’s Holiday Retail Survey 2025
- 85% of online shoppers abandon their carts due to frustration or indecision, Accenture reports
- 84% expect to cut back spending this year, based on PwC’s Holiday Outlook 2025
Why Black Friday feels mentally draining
Women – especially those over 40 – often shoulder an invisible mental load. Throw in pressure to make Christmas perfect and the noise and urgency of Black Friday, and this time of year can suddenly feel pretty overwhelming.
Dr Hannah Nearney is a clinical psychiatrist and UK medical director at Flow Neuroscience, which develops brain stimulation solutions for mental wellbeing. “Holiday stress isn’t only about money. It’s about mental energy," she says.
“People aren’t just overwhelmed by buying. They are mentally strained by constant decision-making. When the brain gets overloaded like that, we quickly see stress 'mode' kicking in, which can worsen other problems like anxiety and depression.”
Dr. Nearney adds that difficulties can include low mood, poor concentration, and overwhelm as a result of decision fatigue overloading the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s region responsible for planning and emotional regulation.
“Holiday stress isn’t only about money. It’s about mental energy.”
Dr Hannah Nearney, Flow Neuroscience
It's interesting – in the wake of today's Autumn UK Budget – to note that financial pressure amplifies decision fatigue.
“Economic uncertainty keeps the brain and nervous system in a constant state of anxiety and alertness,” said Dr. Nearney. “This makes it harder for people to manage holiday shopping and planning. Thus, we can’t simply enjoy the season.”
How to beat Black Friday burnout
The good news is that you can avoid decision fatigue and Black Friday burnout by adopting a few simple techniques for a more mindful and less stressful shopping experience. Here's how:
1. Decide before you shop
Consumer expert Grace Forell, speaking on This Morning this week, said: “The people who win Black Friday aren’t the fastest clickers – they’re the ones who’ve already done their thinking.”
That means deciding, ahead of time:
- What you’re shopping for
- Your budget
- Your trusted retailers
- What qualifies as a genuinely good deal
2. Shop in focused bursts
We all know the frustration of getting stuck in an endless scroll, only to feel horrified at the time we've wasted. Break the cycle with a short reset - it's technique proven to help your brain make clearer decisions. Set yourself 20–30 minute windows in which to shop, then take a break. Make a cup of tea, go for a walk, or even treat yourself to a few minutes of stretching. And if in doubt, incorporate Grace Forell’s Black Friday shopping rule of thumb: “If you only want it because it’s 30% off, leave it.”
3. Prioritise the categories that offer the best value
Knowing which categories consistently offer the best Black Friday deals can help you to shop smartly and decisively, without getting distracted by things you weren't planning and probably don't need. Here are our tips for which retailers to prioritise based on the products you're most interested in shopping for during Black Friday:
- Home
Appliances incl. coffee machines – Amazon
Mattresses – Simba
Vacuums – Dyson - Beauty
Hair tools – Face the Future
Luxury skincare – Sephora
LED beauty tech – LookFantastic - Health
Activewear – Lululemon and Sweaty Betty
Electric toothbrushes – Boots
Fitness trackers – Fitbit and Garmin - Fashion
Winter coats – M&S and Boden
Knitwear – Anthropologie
Boots – Schuh (up to 60% off), ASOS (up to 70% off)
4. Use the 90% rule
Try applying this famous decision-making principle to your Black Friday shopping as a helpful way to avoid buyer's remorse. If an item doesn’t tick 90% of your criteria, simply don't add it to your basket. If you're after a waterproof coat and the one you're tempted by is only shower-proof, it's not the one, and not worth buying just because of the discount. No arguments.
5. Limit comparison overload
According to Sky News, a study by consumer champion Which? found eight out of 10 products in last year's Black Friday season were not at their best price. Oof. Nobody wants to get caught out by falling for a dud that seemed like a deal, but endless price comparing can overload the brain. Use a site like ours for price comparison guidance so you don't have to do all the maths yourself, and limit yourself to only having two browser tabs open at a time. More tabs just means more decisions to make.
Gen Z reins in spending to protect wellbeing
As a mum of three, two of whom are Gen Z, it doesn't surprise me to learn that this demographic is bucking the trend when it comes to Black Friday burnout. According to PwC’s report, they plan to reduce holiday spending by 23%, more than any other age group, while showing a growing interest in purchases related to wellness and mental health.
“Younger people are realising that mental energy is finite,” adds Dr. Nearney. “They’re beginning to view focus and calm as resources worth protecting.”
It’s a mindset that could help the rest of us rethink Black Friday, too. It seems the answer to cognitive burnout is not avoiding decisions altogether, but upping your self-care practices.
As Dr. Nearney says, “The goal isn’t to avoid decisions – it’s to support your brain so you can make them calmly.”
With a little planning, you can approach Black Friday with clarity and intention – and still bag the deals that genuinely feel worth it.
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