Making Decisions in Times of Stress
I was at the grocery store picking up a few items and came across the rice aisle. Like a mirage in the desert, there were several large bags on the shelves.
Let me back up. I like grocery shopping, but going to the store now is stressful from the moment I step into the somber parking lot and am handed my sanitized cart. Over the past several weeks I would say I have been “virus sensible” when stocking my pantry and with success. There has been one shortcoming, however; I have only found one small box of Rice-a-Roni.
As I stared down at the five-pound beauty, I oddly became indecisive. Do I really need a multi-pound bag of rice? At this point I had plenty of other food. However, I do have more kids home to keep fed, however, someone may need it more than I. However…Stop.
Do I often have moments about something seemingly small? No, certainly not. But given the circumstance at the moment, here I was.
It got me to thinking about how in times of stress decisions can become more difficult. Pre-pandemic there have been other “bags of rice” moments – times where the environment is not in my control, my mind races looking for an answer, and I am challenged with making a decision, sometimes large, sometimes small.
There are several thought processes I try to use during times of indecision:
Breathe. Deep and slow. It sounds simplistic, but recognizing my breath brings me out of my head and evokes calmness, a better environment for sound decisions.
Recognize there are no right or wrong answers, only the one I make. This is a little more philosophical. The idea is that when you make a decision based on what you know at this moment, it is just a step leading to something else to grow from. I have plenty of times I look back and wish I had done something different. Was it the best decision I could have made at that time, given what I knew? Now what have I learned from that?
Phone a friend. Gather information. Say it out loud. This is not practical for a bag-of-rice decision but definitely for larger ones. Research and get advice when possible, but there is particular magic in just saying something out loud that helps to clarify things in your own mind.
In the end, trust your gut, your higher power or both. Go back to your breath and when you are calm, think about what you already have – the ability to make this decision. Think about how you already have your answer because of these resources to help you.
Did I really go through all these steps as I stood in the aisle? No. But a couple. Did I buy the bag of rice? Let’s just say that isn’t as important as leading me to share these decision techniques to help you find the right answer for you.