09 Mar 2023 | 5 mins
Overview

  • Doing everything you can to avoid making that big decision that's been weighing you down for weeks?

  • Let us help you get into the right headspace so you can finally have a break from the stress big decisions can cause. 

Ahhh decisions. Those big things we wish we didn’t have to worry about. They can be about anything whether it’s relationships, family, living situations, work, or anything, really. Of course it’s easy enough to push these things to the side and try not to think about them, but in the long term it’s all going to catch up to you. So your best bet is learning how to get into the right mindset when making big life decisions. Because ultimately these can feel pretty massive.

Even some of the most simple decisions can seem really difficult in the moment. I mean, The Clash couldn’t even decide whether they should stay or go, even though there was going to be twice as much trouble if they stayed. Like, obviously you should just go then?!

So to prepare yourself for the next time you have to make a decision that’s actually tough, here are a few ways to get into the right frame of mind. 

Take Some Time To Reflect

Big decisions will never be made if you keep pushing them to the back of your mind so you don’t have to worry about them. This is why it’s necessary to dedicate some time to thinking about the decision. Don’t put pressure on yourself to make one straight away, but at least spend some time thinking about it. When you do this, try to clear the strain from your mind as much as possible by writing down your thoughts, getting some fresh air, or going for a walk while you think. 

 

Ask Yourself The Right Questions

Sometimes the best way to reflect is to give yourself a little bit of an interview. I mean you do it for simple decisions, like asking yourself, “What do I want to wear?” when picking an outfit, but for bigger decisions some more in depth questions are really useful. Some of the best questions to ask yourself are:

  • What are all of my options?
  • What are the pros and cons of each outcome?
  • How well will I cope if the decision backfires?
  • What am I giving up by making this decision?
  • How could this decision impact my mental health?
  • Does this decision impact the people around me?
  • What if I fail?
  • What if I succeed?

 

Ask For Support


Reaching out to the people around is a great way to get an outside perspective on the decision you’re facing. If you’re leaning one way, it can be super validating to hear your feelings backed up by someone else. And if they don’t see things the same way as you, at least they’re removing your personal bias towards the situation and helping you see things in a new light. 


If all else fails, flip a coin

Studies have shown that people who make big life decisions by flipping a coin are happier about the choices they make. So if you can’t make a decision on your own, reach for that silver. This is (in my opinion) a foolproof tactic because if you’re a tad disappointed at the option the coin picks, you’ll know that subconsciously, you wanted the other option all along. If that’s the case, you can ditch what the coin said and go with what you now know you’d prefer!
 

While choosing the best option is ideal, don’t forget that making some bad choices here and there is one of the most important parts of being human! Mistakes are the greatest opportunities we have to learn, so in a way, getting it wrong sometimes is a blessing. And the more you’ll learn along the way, the more opportunities you’ll have to grow <3