Making Decisions Under Stress

Stress is a prevalent and rather unavoidable part of our daily lives. No matter what the source may be, stress seems to be a constant in most people’s personal and professional world. Stress can not only have mental and physical effects on a person, but it can also make it very difficult to make hard decisions. Many people who are faced with decisions while under stress find themselves so overwhelmed that they cannot tackle the issue as they normally would. If you are one of these individuals who often struggles with decision making while stressed, then there are a few different tactics you can consider that may be able to help you focus and make better decisions, even while you are under stress.

Maintain Your Composure

When you are in a state of stress, most people tend to naturally be more irritated and more easily overwhelmed, even in situations where you may not normally succumb to these feelings. If you are in a high state of stress and need to make a difficult decision, it can be easy to fly off the handle, get upset or make a rash decision. This is why it is very important to maintain your composure. Before you take the time to make the decision, take a deep breath and put yourself in a relaxed state before you even attempt to look at the decision in front of you. While you may not think you have time to put yourself in this state, if you take the time to maintain your composure, it will go a long way in helping you make the right decision in the right way.

Make an Informed Decision

When you are in a state of stress it can be easy to rush the decision making process. After all, most people find themselves in a state of stress because they are busy or feel as though they do not have enough time in their schedules. While being stressed can cloud your mind and make you feel rushed, it is important that you take the time to make an informed decision before moving forward with any decision. Take the time to research your possible outcomes, do your homework and write down “pros” and “cons” to each potential side of the decision. Taking the extra time to perform these additional steps while feeling stressed can go a long way in helping you make tough decisions while under stress and to not feel remorseful regarding your choice afterwards.

Make a Decision Worth Committing To

Sometimes when making a decision, it can seem as though there is no right answer. When you are feeling stressed, this feeling is only multiplied. Many times when you are feeling overwhelmed, the best thing you can do is find a fresh approach to making a decision. Instead of sticking to your normal decision making process, view the decision in this way: is this a decision that you can commit to? Think of the decision as something that you need to be truly committed to. Can you defend this decision? Is it worth staying committed to? You need to have a strong feeling regarding the decision, as this is the best way to work through the complications that can come from feeling stressed while making difficult decisions.

Keep these tips in mind whenever you are faced with the challenge of making decisions while under stress. These approaches can not only help give you the confidence you need to handle these difficult decisions, but they can also help you better address any type of decision that you have to make in the future.