Paralyzed By Indecision? These 8 Ways Will Help You Overcome Indecisiveness

We are faced with several choices every day – some are minor (like what to have for dinner) while others are quite major (like “Should I move to a new city?”) No matter the magnitude of your choices, all these decisions can leave you feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by indecision.

Indecisiveness can be challenging and equally frustrating. The inability to make a decision can leave you feeling stressed and fatigued, if only emotionally and mentally. So when you can’t decide, what should you do?

Before we skip to the good part aka the ways you can stop feeling indecisive, let’s first understand why is it so hard to make a decision and how indecisiveness can be linked to our mental well-being.

Why Can’t You Make Decisions?

Indecisiveness can not only make you feel stressed and anxious but can also leave you feeling stuck. Now, when it comes to the reasons why you can’t make decisions, here are some of the common ones;

1. You fear that you’ll make the wrong decision. You worry constantly about the consequences of the decision before you make a choice. Your fear of disappointment can make you feel indecisive.

2. Another reason you may feel paralyzed by indecision is perfectionism. When you strive to achieve perfection, you set high standards for yourself, making it harder for you to make decisions because you fear that the choice you’ll make won’t meet your high expectations.

3. Your tendency to overthink and overanalyze everything can also be one of the reasons why you can’t make decisions. When you obsess over the pros and cons of a choice, you enter a state of analysis paralysis where you ruminate. This can result in decision fatigue as well.

4. Another common reason that causes indecisiveness is the lack of clarity. When you feel like you don’t have enough information or understanding of a topic, you may hesitate to make a decision. Uncertainty can be a major cause of indecisiveness.

5. Did you know that your personality type can also affect your ability to make decisions? If you have neuroticism as a personality trait, then you may struggle with indecision. Poor self-esteem can contribute to indecisiveness, after all.

Is There a Link Between Decision-Making and Mental Health?

Yes! Studies over the years have found a link between decision-making and mental health. It is believed that indecisiveness can lead to increased stress and anxiety. All that second-guessing can make you feel overwhelmed and can trigger chronic unease and worry.

When you are indecisive then your self-confidence can also take a hit. You begin to doubt your decisions and choices and that can lead to feelings of not being good enough and inadequacy.

In other studies, it has been found that individuals who struggle with indecision can also show signs of mental health disorders such as major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and ADHD. Moreover, indecisiveness can lead you to miss opportunities, causing you to feel regret and a sense of loss.

Continuously struggling to make decisions can be emotionally straining and have a risk of burnout. To prevent all these effects of indecisiveness, here are some of the ways you can overcome indecisiveness.

Overcoming Indecisiveness: 8 Ways to Follow

1. Prioritize

The first thing you can do to overcome your indecisiveness is to make a list of priorities. In this list, add what truly matters to you so that you’ll have a framework to begin making decisions. This exercise will also help you align your priorities with your values and beliefs. You’ll also find yourself overanalyzing less this way.

2. Be Realistic

One way to overcome indecision is to set realistic expectations and standards. Instead of aiming for perfection, aim for a satisfactory outcome that matches your values and priorities. Learn to accept mistakes as a part of learning and growth rather than disappointment.

3. Limit The Choices

Another way that I’ve found helps me overcome my indecisiveness is to limit my choices. If you have too many options to choose from, it can soon become overwhelming and lead to indecisiveness. When you limit your choices, you can aim for a manageable decision.

4. Seek Others’ Advice

If you constantly find yourself struggling to make a decision, then you can seek advice from other people. Go to friends, experts, or trusted people who have a clear perspective on certain things. They can help you gain confidence and encourage you to make an informed decision.

5. Keep Practicing

The best way to overcome indecisiveness is to start small and keep practicing. Start overcoming indecisiveness by making a small decision (for example; what to eat for dinner) and then build up to big decisions. Practicing your decision-making skills can improve your confidence and reduce self-doubt.

6. Trust Your Instincts

There’s truth in the sentence that your instincts will never guide you wrong. Pay attention to your instincts and listen to your gut when you feel indecisive. Your subconscious mind might have the right choice all made up, but not allowing your instincts to guide you can cause you to overthink and ultimately feel indecisive.

7. Embrace Mistakes

Instead of berating yourself for making the wrong decision, understand that making mistakes is a part of life and your personal growth. Embrace mistakes and view these wrong decisions as opportunities to learn from them. Doing this will help you avoid the same mistakes in the future.

8. Seek Professional Support

When you don’t know what’s causing your indecisiveness and you’re continuously struggling to make decisions, then you can consider seeking professional help and support. If talking to friends and family doesn’t help, talking to a professional will. A professional can provide insights and support to help you make decisions and even offer new perspectives that you might’ve not considered before.

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Wrapping Up

Every day we’re asked to make decisions – some privately in the comfort of our minds and others, publicly where the chance of failure and mistakes is high. It’s normal to face challenges when making decisions, but when indecisiveness can overpower you and make you feel paralyzed and overwhelmed by fear, then addressing it becomes paramount.

Overcoming indecisiveness is a journey filled with self-reflection, effort, and practice. When you recognize what causes indecisiveness, you can take the right steps to overcome the same. The above-mentioned ways can help you overcome indecisiveness and bring you closer to making informed, meaningful decisions and feeling confident.

If you need support and help, don’t hesitate to seek help from friends, family, and/or a professional counselor. Know that you’re not alone in your struggles to make decisions and there’s no shame in seeking help when you need it.

I hope the tips I’ve mentioned in this article will help you overcome indecisiveness and feel confident from this day forth. What steps do you take to feel less indecisive? Let me know in the comments below.