Decisions, decisions: sometimes it’s tough

17.7.2017

Some of us seem to be naturally decisive. Others can struggle with even small decisions – after all, when you decide to move one way, you close off other options and for some of us that can seem like a hard loss. But in a busy work environment, we’re called upon to make decisions all the time. And our capacity to do that will directly or indirectly affect the quality of our work. The ability to make good decisions, and to do that without any unnecessary waste of time and energy, is often a huge part of what makes us effective at our job.

Mindfulness can help by allowing us to frame the decisions we need to make and align them with our goals and objectives more clearly so that we can come to good conclusions.

How does mindfulness help with decision-making?

People who are mindful are more aware of the ethical implications of the choices they’re called upon to make. Our ethical frameworks, the moral principles that guide our behaviour, are an important part of the decision-making process, but we don’t necessarily make decisions by consciously drawing on our ethics. Rather, by enabling great self-awareness, mindfulness training helps us to naturally align our decisions with our personal values and goals. Things feel right or they don’t. When they don’t, by being more mindful we notice that more readily. That can lead to a deeper enquiry – what’s really at play here?

Mindfulness training can also help us to be more rational and less biased in our decision making. Research suggests, for example, that mindfulness helps to reduce the ‘sunk-cost bias’. This is the belief that if we’ve dedicated a lot of time and resources to something, we need to continue with it. Those people who are more mindful appear to have a greater ability to decide to abandon an idea that’s not working and head in a different direction, however much time and energy they’ve invested in the approach.

How to use mindfulness to improve decision-making

1. Just 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation a day can increase your level of mindfulness and help with decision-making.
2. Notice where your thoughts are going. This is tricky sometimes when life gets hectic and we have worries but the best decision-making occurs when we’re more self-aware. Staying present and focused are hugely valuable when it comes to decision making.
3. Try to limit the use of technology at work. These days, we’re so attached to our phones it’s easy to feel like we’re being pulled in different directions. Turn off notifications and limit use to once every hour. This will allow careful contemplation of decisions without as many distractions.
4. Keep to one task at a time. When we multi-task, we can begin to feel pressured and become less engaged with each task. Concentrating on one task at a time will help you become fully focused on the decisions you need to make relating to that task.
5. Take a break. If you’re in the same environment all day, your thinking can stagnate. Go for a walk, preferably near nature to increase your focus. This is especially important when making big decisions.
6. Keep your core values in mind. When we’re aligned with our core values, we make better decisions.

To learn more about mindfulness and the decision-making process, contact rachel@mindfulness.com, or call (+44) 01223 750660.