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How to Make Up Your Mind

The science behind decision fatigue and how to overcome it.

Pocket Collections

Corrie Evanoff

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

Having options is typically a good thing—until you can’t choose the right one for you. That’s decision paralysis, the mental exhaustion that comes from dealing with too many choices or struggling between two excellent ones.

We’d love to recommend flipping a coin to clear the anxiety, but realistically, overcoming indecisiveness requires a more nuanced approach. “Decisions are complex, not necessarily because the choice between two options is complex but also, and more importantly, because human beings are complex,” says Joseph Bikart in Psyche. Luckily, understanding how we got to this point can help untangle even the thorniest bouts of indecision—especially when followed up with trusted methods for moving forward. Ready to get started? Wait—don’t answer that. Let’s go.

Image by Aleksei Morozov/Getty Images

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Coco Khan

Fear of missing out has a more anxious sibling and could stop you going to social events—or buying your next meal. Here’s what is behind fear of better options.

Why Do We Have a Harder Time Choosing When We Have More Options?

The Decision Lab

Choice overload, explained.

Any Decision Is Better Than Indecision. Try These Tips to Actually Choose

Frank FestaClare Marie Schneider

One idea: Allow yourself three to five options max.

The Decoy Effect: How You Are Influenced to Choose Without Really Knowing It

Gary Mortimer

The Conversation

Think you got a good deal? Look again.

Exactly How To Be More Decisive and Confident in Your Choices, According to Therapists

Korin Miller

How to start feeling comfortable with people not fully agreeing with your decisions and practice trusting yourself again.

How to Make Great Decisions, Quickly

Martin G. Moore

Harvard Business Review

Learning to make good decisions without hesitation and procrastination is a capability that can set you apart from your peers at work.

An Economist’s Rule for Making Tough Life Decisions

Sarah Todd

“Whenever you cannot decide what you should do, choose the action that represents a change.”

Decision-Making: Research Shows What Happens When We Wait for “Something Better”

Hollie Richardson

Terrible at making decisions? A recent study has found just how much our expectations drop while taking the time to decide on something.

How to Stop Overthinking and Start Trusting Your Gut

Melody Wilding

Harvard Business Review

Intuition is frequently dismissed as mystical or unreliable — but there’s a deep neurological basis for it.

How to Get Better at Making Every Type of Decision

Allie Volpe

Here’s what to do if you regularly wish you could hire someone to make all your choices for you.

How to Make Decision Fatigue More Bearable

Dina Smith

The higher you rise in your career, it’s likely the more momentous choices you make each day.

How to Make the Right Choice, Every Time

Corrie Evanoff

Pocket Collections

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