Anxiety comes into our lives and disrupts everything including our ability to make sound decisions with confidence. Anxiety can tend to direct our behavior toward the safest perceived option. At times, this is the best way to make a decision, with caution. However, there are many times when we have to step out and take a risk to get any different or better results. Anxiety can keep you safe, but it can also prevent you from making the decisions that you really want to make in your life.
If you have anxiety and notice that it is impacting your ability to make decisions, what do you do now? There are many ways that you can start to improve your decision-making skills and even become more confident in your ability to make decisions. Below are just a few ideas to get you started!
1. Be Mindful.
Mindfulness can help strengthen our ability to make a decision in the present moment. We are able to look at all options with an open lens. Mindfulness can help filter out distractions and allows you to feel more grounded. Mindfulness helps to limit the influence of things that don’t matter which can help you to focus on the things that do matter.
2. Explore and work to understand where the anxiety is coming from.
Many different stressors such as an argument, bad traffic, work stress, etc.. can influence our ability to make decisions and increase our anxiety. There may be anxiety from past experiences getting in the way too. One of the best things you can do to explore this is to write down your feelings and ask yourself questions. It allows you to dig deeper into your self-awareness and gain a new perspective. It can help to clear your mind and reorganize all the spiraling thoughts resulting in less overwhelm.
3. Slow down.
Slowing down is about focusing on what is actually happening and not on our automatic thoughts or feelings. This may sound simple and easy, but it takes a lot of effort to create a shift in our perspective. The more awareness that we have, the more power we have to change it.
4. Choices aren’t typically ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’
Part of the anxiety that comes up with decision making is usually about fear of making the wrong decision or wanting to make the right decision. Anxiety can trick us into thinking that there is a good and a bad option. Usually there is more than one option in front of you and it isn’t so much about what decision you make, but more about what you do once you have decided. It is about the actions you make to organize your environment, behavior and responses once that decision is made.
5. Make decisions based on what you want, not what you want to avoid.
Anxiety often tells us all the possible outcomes, especially the negative outcomes. That leads to decisions being made simply out of wanting to avoid a certain outcome that we don’t want, rather that choosing what we really want.
6. Get Therapy! It is important to have people that you trust to help you and support you. We need connection with others. If you find it difficult to have those people in your life or need additional support, it may be time to reach out for therapy.
If you are searching for a therapist or counselor you can learn more about tips to starting therapy here or use a directory service where you can narrow your search based on types of therapy, insurance, location, etc.. Counselor directories to get started can include psychology today, therapyroute, or mental health match. If you are interested in connecting directly with Mindful Solutions you can reach out via email (mindfulsolutions@itherapymail.com), phone (619-353-5139), or book your free 30 minute consultation on our website!
*Although I am a therapist by profession, I am not YOUR therapist. This article is for informational and educational purposes only, does not replace therapy and does not establish any kind of therapist-client relationship with me. I am not liable or responsible for any damages resulting from or related to your use of this information. To see more information about our disclamer(s): https://www.mindfulsolutionscorp.com/disclaimers
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