When I taught a stress management program, I shared some tips about decision making which included the following statement:
When I am calm and relaxed, I will make the best decision.
Sometimes we get overwhelmed when we need to make a decision. We feel the pressure especially if we are being asked to deliver a conclusion immediately. Many times though we don’t need to decide immediately. It is only a sense of urgency. Some decisions such as an emergency do need us to decide now, but many do not. Once it has been determined that do have time to make our best choice, we can release the pressure accumulated by taking a deep breath and then schedule time later in the day or week to contemplate our choices.
Steps to help us make decisions:
- Gather the facts and information
- Schedule time to review
- Make a decision and move on
When we allow ourselves time to decide we can reduce stress and make the best possible decision with the information we have.
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