Four Ways To Improve Decision-Making Even When You’re Stressed

Rise above the immediate stresses of the moment

Are you facing a big decision, but feeling too stressed to make it? Have you found yourself hyper-focusing on the granular details of the decision, which is most likely increasing your anxiety instead of lessening it? Try stepping back to see the big picture and prioritize what matters most to you, both now and in the long run.
 

If you can rise above the immediate stresses of the moment, you will be able to make decisions that are grounded in core values, beliefs, and high ethical standards. Below are four steps you can take to overcome stress so that you can make thoughtful, clear-eyed decisions that work for you.

1. During Particularly Stressful Times, Stay Connected to Others

Human beings are, first and foremost, social creatures. Our ancestors survived by bonding together to face threats. Those who remained isolated and fought their battles alone found their odds of survival severely reduced.

Nature has equipped us with a powerful stress-combating hormone called oxytocin, called “the love hormone” by some scientists. It is produced by the posterior pituitary gland and inhibits the release of stress hormones like cortisol, thereby moderating fear and anxiety. Oxytocin is a primal ingredient in our recipe for survival, fueling the overwhelming feelings of love and connection a mother feels when she nurses her newborn baby.

Oxytocin also enhances emotional bonding and facilitates trust between individuals. Feeling compassion and love for others, experiencing gratitude and deep connection stimulates the release of oxytocin and can become a powerful perspective-balancing agent in decision-making.

2. Seek Perspective in the Storm

Best-selling author Richard Carlson, in his book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff - And It’s All Small Stuff” argued that the little things that are essentially meaningless in the big picture can literally take over our lives.

What is needed when the storms of stress are fully raging is PERSPECTIVE. And sound decision-making without the right perspective is virtually impossible. Because of the profound way in which a shift in perception, seeing a situation through a new lens, can instantly change our view of the world, every effort should be made to seek the perspective that makes responsible, well-informed, and thoughtful decisions possible.

3. Take Action on the Things You Can Control and Let the Rest Go

When you worry about things that are beyond your control, all you are doing is wasting precious energy.

What things can you control after a bad car accident, after your home is foreclosed upon, after a failed marriage? If chaos is everywhere, prior to any important decision, make the effort to create order somewhere. Make your bed, clean the house, wash your car, reach out to a friend, meditate or go for a relaxing walk in nature.

Make a list of what you can control and what you cannot. Do something constructive that reduces chaos before making important choices. Continue taking positive steps, in advance of important choices, to make yourself and your situation right.

4. Time Travel to Get the Priority Right

Prior to making your next big decision, when your stress levels are high, assess whether your angst and worry are truly necessary and appropriate by jumping ahead 3 months, 1 year, 5 or even 10 years to determine the real significance of the crisis you are facing. When looking forward through the lens of time, how important is it really? How will you reflect back on this at the end of your life? Was it worth the effort you put into it, or a complete waste of time and energy?

So often, peering through the lens of extended time brings a much clearer sense of what’s really at stake in the decision you are about to make. If an extraordinarily complex, potentially life-altering decision is front and center, viewing the situation from a distance can add a valuable perspective that clarifies the risk-reward profile. You may discover that the consequences of a particular decision are simply too great to move on it, or conversely, that the short-term consequences pale in comparison to a choice that has strong potential to move emotional tectonic plates in the direction of True North.

Author Bios

Dr. Jim Loehr, the co-author of WISE DECISIONS, is a world-renowned performance psychologist, Co-Founder of the Human Performance Institute, and author of eighteen books including, The Only Way to Win. He also co-authored the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement. Dr. Loehr is well known for his individual work with top-flight athletes and Olympians. He holds a masters and doctorate in psychology, serves on several scientific boards, is a full member of the American Psychological Association, and has been inducted into three Halls of Fame. Visit www.jim-loehr.com Connect Dr. Jim Loehr

Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker, the co-author of WISE DECISIONS, is a behavioral geneticist. She is a Senior Scientist at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth at Tufts University, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Visit www.sheilaohlssonwalker.com/ Follow @DrSheilaOWalker