We are living in an era of overwhelming information. The paradox is that instead of feeling more informed, we end up paralyzed. The good news is that there are already simple but effective strategies to deal with infoxication and regain clarity in decision-making.
Not long ago, I had to make an important decision in my organization. We were considering launching a new service — something that could open doors but also required investment, process changes, and a degree of risk. I started digging into the data: market analyses, trend reports, customer feedback, competitor benchmarks, economic forecasts, webinars, white papers… everything.
The more I researched, the more variables and possibilities emerged. At a certain point, I wasn’t analyzing anymore — I was drowning in information. What should have been a clear strategic decision turned into a draining mental marathon. That’s when I came face to face with a disconcerting reality: the excess of information wasn’t giving me confidence — it was holding me back. And I began to wonder — how many decisions are we postponing not out of fear, but because of saturation?
We’ve never had access to so much information as we do now. Not long ago, sources were limited and clearly defined: the media, books, and academia, for the most part. Decisions were made based on these pillars, and they were considered more than enough.
But the world has changed — and changed radically. Today, in addition to traditional sources, we’re exposed to a daily avalanche of data from social media, comment sections, websites, emails, apps, newsletters, and e-books. The list is endless. We are immersed in a state of constant information overload. New opinions, suggestions, analyses, and recommendations appear every moment — what to buy, how to advance in our careers, how to improve relationships or manage our health.
The paradox is that instead of feeling more enlightened, we feel stuck. Too many options get in the way. By the end of the day, we’re left confused, mentally drained, and even frustrated. This overload has a name: infoxication.
And it’s not just a personal issue. It’s a direct consequence of the system we live in, which pushes us towards relentless data consumption and the belief that staying constantly updated is a duty. Studies from the *Harvard Business Review* confirm that this excess leads to what they call “choice paralysis” — a phenomenon where analyzing too many variables makes decision-making slower and more difficult.
Infoxication, a term first coined by Spanish physicist Alfons Cornellá in 1996, refers to the mental and emotional exhaustion caused by a constant bombardment of information. With the internet always at our fingertips, this phenomenon has become part of our daily lives. We’re flooded with data from so many directions that filtering, prioritizing, and transforming it into useful knowledge becomes extremely difficult. The result shows up in the form of anxiety, stress, mental fatigue, and above all, an inability to focus and make quick, effective decisions.
This challenge affects both our professional and personal lives. When faced with too many options, we freeze — afraid to make the wrong choice or miss a “better” one. The more we postpone, the more it wears us down. Often, we end up making no decision at all. This mental block is known as the “paradox of choice” or “choice overload,” a concept popularized by psychologist Barry Schwartz. Strangely, the more options we have, the less satisfied we are with our decision — and the more we question whether we made the right one.
We often say that “ignorance is bliss,” but that’s not true. Nothing replaces the freedom of making informed decisions. Of choosing based on real knowledge. But excess has the opposite effect. Too much information doesn’t empower us — it weakens us. We feel insecure, unable to act, and end up trapped in an endless cycle of analysis.
The good news is that there are simple yet effective strategies to handle infoxication and regain clarity in our decisions. The topic has been widely studied. The first step is to limit information intake. Less can be more. Setting specific times to check emails or social media helps reduce constant interruptions and cut unnecessary noise.
It’s also essential to be selective about which sources we follow. Not all information is valid, useful, or even true. We need to actively curate what we consume: filter it, organize it, and focus on what really matters. That’s the only way we can turn data into knowledge.
Another practical trick is to simplify our choices. Reducing the number of options lowers anxiety. And setting deadlines for decisions helps create a healthy sense of urgency that counters procrastination.
But perhaps the most important step is learning to accept imperfection. Not every decision will be brilliant — and that’s okay. Sometimes, “good enough” is better than chasing perfection. That kind of acceptance lightens the burden of responsibility and frees us to take action.
Infoxication is affecting how we think and how we choose. We’re overwhelmed, anxious, and often stuck. The solution lies in filtering better, consuming less, and, above all, accepting that decision-making is inherently imperfect. Ignorance isn’t bliss — but too much information isn’t either. Balance lies somewhere in between: knowing enough and having the courage to act on what we already know.
Alexandra Peixinho Abreu, CATÓLICA-LISBON’s Director of Communications