Indecisiveness: Reasons And 6 Coping Strategies - Pascale E. Nakhlé

Indecisiveness: Reasons And 6 Coping Strategies

Indecision can add significant confusion, uncertainty, and hesitation to your daily tasks. What are its reasons, and how can you cope with it?

Being indecisive can have a significant impact on your life, whether it’s a big decision like picking a life partner or a small one like what to eat for breakfast, some people are overwhelmed by the weight of both equally.

One of the reasons why many people hesitate when given a choice is the fear of choosing incorrectly. Several things, including a fear of failure, perfectionism, fear of judgment, lack of confidence, or lack of information, can all play a role in that.

Indecision is not always that bad. There are times when pausing allows you to think things over and give you a chance to learn more and consider the options. If you have trouble deciding right away, it might mean the decision is important to you! 

When it persists for too long, though, uncertainty yields adverse outcomes. You may wonder: How much time is too much? If you wait, will you lose out on a crucial opportunity? Can you risk losing something you really want? Why do the more you think about it, the harder it gets?

Although you may already have described yourself as indecisive, don’t be too harsh on yourself. You can still learn to make wise and thoughtful decisions, just like any other skill.

Here are the whys and hows!

What causes indecisiveness?

Numerous circumstances could lead to indecision. Here are a few:

Fear of failing

People who have grown up in environments where making decisions is viewed as a chance to learn and develop tend to feel more at ease. However, if a parent berates a child for making a poor choice, they may refrain from making choices, fearing that they will be judged. These anxieties may persist into adulthood, prompting hesitation as a coping mechanism.

Parental Influence

Your lack of decision-making skills may have its roots in parental influence. Someone who had controlling parents as a child might not have had the chance to make their own decisions. As a result, once given a chance to decide, they look for someone else to make that decision on their behalf.

Perfectionism

When someone constantly perceives options as “right” and “wrong”, they may become paralyzed by the fear of unintentionally making the “wrong” choice. This causes them to go back and forth constantly as they try to make the right decision.

People pleasing 

People-pleasers might experience ongoing internal conflict between option A (what they want) and option B (what others want). This might cause them to lose focus on their own objectives, how they’ll achieve them, and how to give them top priority. So when the time comes for them to choose between several options, they often fall into the trap of overthinking and/or making decisions that are not in their favor.

Lack of confidence

Making decisions requires a lot of self-confidence. Maybe someone does know which way to go in order to get where they want to go. However, if they struggle with their self-esteem, they may find it difficult to follow through, which will cause them to hesitate and put off taking action.

Lack of knowledge 

Some people might actually be capable of making prompt decisions with confidence and competence. However, the issue may simply be that the person in question lacks sufficient knowledge regarding the issue they should decide upon.

How to cope with indecisiveness?

Face the fear

Your indecision may likely be a result of an underlying fear. Hence, the best step here is to determine what it is, write it down, then consider a helpful action plan in case your fear comes true. For instance, you might be thinking about changing jobs but are worried about the financial risks. Perhaps the new position pays less than your present one. Think about how your decreased income will affect your life and how you might handle it. After that, put your fear aside and choose what seems right to you.

Write down the options

Visual representations can be helpful at times to help you understand your choices. You could, for instance, list the advantages and disadvantages of each option in a pro-con list. Making more deliberate decisions is made possible by using this method, which enables you to connect ideas and results. Writing allows you to consider and outline various aspects of each option and can help you concentrate better when making decisions. 

Tune in to your emotions

Many people who struggle to make decisions tend to overthink things. However, there comes the point where the choice won’t get any simpler, no matter how much information you have or how much logic you’ve used. Therefore, consider: “Which would benefit you the most: A or B?” Give each choice a quick score between one and ten based on your gut feelings, trust your instincts, then decide on the option that feels better to you.

Take Your Time

We might think that being decisive means making a decision right away, but pausing can actually lead to a better choice. Examine your “sense of urgency” when making decisions. If it’s high and you can’t concentrate on anything else, then anxiety has probably set in. This is a warning sign that you should delay choosing between the time being. Instead, take a walk or engage in another enjoyable activity to divert your attention.

Ask Who You’re Trying to Please

Our choices frequently have an impact on others as well as on us. Trying to please multiple people at once is one of the causes of indecision. You might be trying to make choices that will advance your career or that your spouse or parents will approve of, but those choices may not align with how you’ve always wanted your life to turn out. Here it is better to be aware of your motivations and the people you might please (or disappoint) as a result of your choice.

Coping with indecision is coupled with being confident, self-aware, and thoughtful!

Be patient, put yourself first, and have faith in the process!

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