“I have this big decision coming up about ________________ . I cannot really decide
because both options have plusses and minuses. I want to make sure I make the “right decision”. The problem is I am becoming so anxious, I do not want to make any decision.”
We live in an age of anxiety that is characterized by many being frozen by bouts of indecisiveness. We analyze our college choice, our job prospects, our potential spouse and where to go on vacation. We analyze, then we analyze a little more and then just to be sure, we do one final sweep of analysis. In the end, we drive ourselves nuts or worse procrastinate our way to a dead-end choice.
Here’s some advice: Just decide. In life, 99% of decisions will not ruin your life. Often there is not one right choice, there are several that are great. Ask yourself honestly, “What’s the worst thing that could happen from this decision?” Usually the answer is not that bad. So, gather the information you need, then be decisive and slow to change your mind. Your blood pressure and anxiety level will thank you.
don’t, never mind!
When we fall into people pleasing, many of our great ideas never get launched because we are too scared of offending others or challenging them. Here’s a good questions to ask, “What weight does this person’s opinion REALLY have in my life? If the answer is “not much”, time to dust off your shoes, ignore the sheep and move forward.
Doing laundry, finding a parking spot, filling out an application, working out or cleaning your apartment can all seem like monumental tasks. The tendency for many of us is to shutdown and avoid the problem entirely. Sometimes taking a nap or or playing a few hours of video games or binge-watching Netflix seems like a better solution than facing our problems. The outcome is usually temporary relief, coupled with an even greater sense of stress or pressure the next day.