Anxiety can wreak havoc in your life in a variety of ways. While anxious thoughts often stem from fear, they can create symptoms that make you feel like almost everything is out of control.
Anxiety can impact your relationships, your career, and even how you view yourself. It can also hijack your decision-making skills, making it feel nearly impossible to be confident in your choices. You might always end up second-guessing yourself or worrying about the worst-case scenario.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to take control again. With a few effective strategies, you can keep anxiety from hijacking your decision-making skills and feel more confident in the things you choose for yourself. Let’s take a look at a few of those strategies.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness has grown to be a bit of a buzzword over the last few years. But, that’s really only because it’s so effective as a grounding technique. Mindfulness is the practice of staying focused on the present.
By grounding yourself in the here and now, you’re less likely to let the “what ifs” that often come with anxious thoughts take over. Try deep breathing techniques or do a body scan to practice mindfulness. You’ll be less worried about the potential negative outcomes of a situation, and more confident in making a decision you can feel good about.
Set Time Limits
Anxiety tends to fuel upon itself. The more you allow anxious thoughts to creep in, the easier it will be to focus on the possible negative outcomes — including those that aren’t necessarily based on reality.
If you have a decision to make, consider giving yourself a limited amount of time to make it. Time limits can help to keep your anxious thoughts from spiraling out of control. You’ll be more likely to stay focused without letting your thoughts wander.
It’s also a good rule of thumb to make the most of that time in whatever way allows you to feel more confident in your decision. For example, you could jot down a pros and cons list during your limited time, weighing out the factors of your decision.
Talk It Out
Sometimes, seeking support is the best way to make a decision without letting fear take over. Talk to trusted friends, family members, or co-workers about the decision you’re faced with. If you value their opinion, you can take it into consideration and see how it lines up with your own values.
Being able to get an outside perspective on things can calm your fears and help you see a decision more realistically.
Having a support system in your corner, in general, is essential when you’re dealing with anxiety. Don’t be afraid to talk about your feelings or the things that trigger you. Those same people helping you with the decision-making process can be shoulders for you to lean on when you need it most.
Managing Anxiety
Of course, the best thing you can do if anxiety is keeping you from making effective decisions is to get to the heart of the matter.
There are many ways to manage the symptoms of anxiety, from basic self-care practices like daily exercise to stress-reduction techniques like meditation and journaling.
But, working with a mental health professional is often the best way to combat anxiety and keep it from hijacking your decision-making skills. Anxiety therapy can help you understand where your anxiety is coming from, so you can start to take steps forward on a healing journey while learning how to manage your symptoms.
If you’re tired of feeling a lack of confidence or security every time you’re faced with a decision, contact me to set up an appointment soon, and we’ll tackle your anxious thoughts together.