5 tips for overcoming decision fatigue
Do you ever feel burnt out from all the decisions you have to make every day? Check out five tips for overcoming decision fatigue.
Decision fatigue is a real thing, especially in today’s world, where we are overloaded with information and have an immense pressure to succeed. There are so many big life decisions to make such as who to marry, what career path to take, where to live, how to manage our money and so many options. While having an abundance of choices might sound appealing, studies have found that it often causes us to feel stressed and overwhelmed. In modern “emerging adulthood” a term that psychology professor Jeffrey Jensen Arnett defines as “the period between the ages of 18 and 25 when many directions remain possible and very little about the future has been decided” and delayed choices ultimately leads to confusion about one’s identity and purpose in life. In his book, “The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less,” psychologist Barry Schwartz argues that the more choices we have, the more likely we are to anticipate regretting our decisions later on. (Also read: Do you know why thinking hard makes you feel exhausted? Study reveals )
Psychotherapist and Coach, Tess Brigham, suggested five ways to deal with decision fatigue in her Instagram post.
1. Address how you truly feel
• How do you feel about your current situation?
• What changes would you like to make?
• What's important to you right now?
• What are your current goals?
What are your future goals?
When we force ourselves to think about our feelings, words, emotions and behaviors, we start to understand what's really bothering us and what we really want.
2. Identify your options
Brainstorm the choices you have and what outcomes they might lead to. For example, switching jobs could affect your salary, living situation, work responsibilities or commute. Define the key factors of each decision and how they might affect your current situation. Maybe you need to take care of a sick family member and can't afford to take on a demanding job.
3. Identify the things you can control
It's okay to take risks, but avoid choices with outcomes that you have very little control over. Maybe you have a difficult boss. If that's just their personality, confronting them might not change things. It might make things even more awkward. What you can control is how you react to your boss' behavior. You can choose to not let it affect you or maybe think about finding a new job altogether.
4. Make a decision
Don't rush yourself but at the same time, don't spend too much time obsessing over your choices. It may help to talk things through with someone or ask for a different perspective. Just be careful not to accept blind advice. Once you've made a decision, be prepared for the possible outcomes. Make a plan for what to do if things don't turn out the way you expected them to.
5. Embrace the uncertainties
It's okay to worry or feel uncertain, provided that you don't allow it to take over your life. The only “right” path is the path that feels right to you. You might accept a new job offer and realize that it wasn't a good culture fit or that there were more responsibilities than you were prepared to take on. You won't always get it right the first time, but when you embrace and accept your mistakes, you become a lot smarter, wiser and more confident about the choices you make in the future.
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