Anxiety: How to Stop Anxiety from Controlling Your Decision-Making by a Colchester Therapist
/Anxiety: How to Stop Anxiety from Controlling Your Decision-Making by a Colchester Therapist
Connecticut Therapist
Anxiety is a normal and sometimes even helpful response to uncertainty or stress. It can alert us to potential dangers and motivate us to prepare for challenges. However, when anxiety becomes overwhelming, it can negatively impact our ability to make decisions. Whether it’s choosing what career path to take, how to respond to a loved one, or even what to eat for dinner, anxiety can cause us to overanalyze, avoid making choices, or second-guess ourselves to the point of paralysis.
If you find anxiety steering your decision-making process, you are not alone. The good news is that there are actionable steps you can take to regain control. Here’s how to stop anxiety from taking the driver’s seat in your life.
Understand How Anxiety Impacts Decision-Making
Anxiety often manifests as excessive worry about the potential outcomes of a decision. You may fear making the “wrong” choice or obsess over how others will perceive your actions. This fear can lead to common patterns such as:
Avoidance: Putting off decisions to escape the discomfort of uncertainty.
Overthinking: Getting stuck in a loop of analyzing every possible outcome.
Seeking Excessive Reassurance: Relying on others to validate your choices.
Perfectionism: Believing there is only one “right” decision, making it difficult to commit to a choice.
Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward breaking free from their grip. Once you’re aware of how anxiety influences your decision-making, you can begin to implement strategies to counteract it.
Strategies to Stop Anxiety from Controlling Your Decisions
1. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a powerful tool for managing anxiety. When you’re caught in an anxious spiral, it’s easy to focus on “what if” scenarios or past regrets. Mindfulness brings you back to the present moment, helping you ground yourself in what is real and tangible. Try this:
Take a few deep breaths, inhaling for four counts and exhaling for six.
Focus on what you can see, hear, and feel around you.
Remind yourself that you don’t need to make a perfect decision—you just need to make a thoughtful one.
2. Set a Time Limit
Decision-making can feel overwhelming when there’s no end in sight. To combat this, give yourself a specific amount of time to consider your options. For smaller decisions, this might mean five minutes. For larger ones, you might allocate a few days or weeks. Once your time is up, commit to moving forward with your choice.
Setting a time limit prevents endless overthinking and encourages you to trust your ability to make a decision.
3. Challenge Negative Thought Patterns
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches us that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. Learn more about CBT here. Anxiety often stems from distorted thought patterns, such as:
Catastrophizing: “If I make the wrong decision, everything will fall apart.”
Black-and-White Thinking: “There is only one right choice.”
Personalization: “If this doesn’t work out, it’s my fault.”
To challenge these thoughts, ask yourself questions like:
“What evidence do I have that this outcome will happen?”
“Are there other possibilities I haven’t considered?”
“What would I say to a friend in this situation?”
By reframing your thoughts, you can approach decisions with a clearer and more rational mindset.
4. Focus on Your Values
When anxiety clouds your judgment, reconnecting with your core values can serve as a compass. Ask yourself:
“What is truly important to me in this situation?”
“How does this decision align with my long-term goals?”
“What choice will bring me closer to the person I want to be?”
Grounding yourself in your values helps shift the focus from external pressures or fears to what matters most to you.
5. Accept That Uncertainty Is Inevitable
No decision comes with a guarantee. Learning to tolerate uncertainty is a crucial part of managing anxiety. Instead of striving for absolute certainty, aim for “enough” certainty—a point where you have sufficient information to make a reasonably informed choice.
Remind yourself that every decision is an opportunity to learn, regardless of the outcome. Even if things don’t go as planned, you can adapt and grow from the experience.
6. Use EMDR Therapy to Process Past Experiences
Sometimes, anxiety about decision-making stems from unresolved past experiences, such as situations where a choice led to negative consequences or feelings of failure. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy can help you process these memories and reduce their emotional charge. By addressing the root cause of your anxiety, you can approach decisions with greater confidence and clarity. Learn more about EMDR here.
7. Seek Support When Needed
You don’t have to navigate anxiety alone. A therapist trained in CBT and EMDR can provide you with the tools and support to manage your anxiety effectively. They can help you identify thought patterns, process unresolved memories, and build the confidence to trust your decisions.
Moving Forward - Online Therapy CT
Connecticut Therapist
Anxiety doesn’t have to control your decision-making. By practicing mindfulness, challenging distorted thoughts, and reconnecting with your values, you can regain a sense of agency and approach decisions with greater ease. Remember, every choice is an opportunity to learn and grow. Be kind to yourself, and trust that you have the strength to make decisions that align with your goals and values.
If you’re ready to take the next step in managing your anxiety, consider reaching out for professional support. Together, we can work toward breaking free from anxiety’s hold and empowering you to live a more intentional and fulfilling life. Email or call today to see if I am a good fit for you.