5 Reasons You Should Work on Improving Your Ability to Make Big Decisions With Confidence While You’re in College
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Making big decisions isn’t always easy, especially when you’re having a hard time managing your mental health. Mental health conditions like anxiety can make every decision more difficult. You may overthink your choices and feel like every decision you make is somehow wrong. Struggling with making decisions could be a sign of a mental health condition. Research shows that mental health symptoms are often accompanied by impairments in decision‐making. As a college student, this can be especially frustrating. College involves a lot of big decisions, from prioritizing certain social activities over others to choosing your major. If you’re nearing the end of your time in college, you may also be making important decisions about internships and potential career paths. If you’re already experiencing mental health challenges, these decisions might send your anxiety through the roof.

The good news is that you can get better. Decisions don’t always have to feel impossible. With the right approach, you can start improving your ability to make big decisions with confidence. Improving your decision-making skills might not be an immediate process. It can take time. However, the resulting benefits may last a lifetime. If you want to improve your decision-making abilities, seeking professional support can be a good option. Making significant changes can be difficult alone. With professional mental health treatment, though, you can work to manage your anxiety and indecision with comprehensive support each step of the way. There are plenty of reasons why you might want to become more decisive. Learning more about the potential benefits of improving your decision-making process can help motivate you to start your journey.

5 reasons to get better at making big decisions in college

  • Feeling more empowered — Making a decision isn’t just about making the right choice. In many situations, there are no real “right” or “wrong” choices. What’s important is that you feel confident in your decision. When you work on your ability to make decisions, you can gain the confidence to trust yourself, which can help you feel more empowered in your daily life.
  • Saving time — Big decisions can be exhausting and time consuming. When you’re having trouble making a choice, you may agonize over your decision for days, weeks or even months. As you try to make one choice, other decisions may start to pile up. For example, as you’re trying to choose your major, you may need to start choosing classes for your next semester. Too many choices can make you feel constantly busy and exhausted with deliberation. By improving your decision-making skills, you can start saving time and energy. Making a decision quickly can save you from the stream of second-guessing you may typically experience, enabling you to focus your time and energy on what matters most.
  • Building better relationships — Being more decisive can improve your life in many big and small ways. One potential benefit is improvements in your relationships. Making faster, more confident decisions can improve the way you communicate. When you’re indecisive, you may stumble over your words, frequently correct yourself and avoid making any strong statements. This can limit your ability to communicate effectively and honestly with others. By improving your decision-making, you can strengthen your communication skills and make better, deeper connections.
  • Boosting your mental health — When you stress less about decisions, you may experience reduced anxiety. Being more decisive might also help address depressive symptoms. Self-confidence, which is key to being decisive, tends to come with healthy self-esteem. Improving your self-esteem can lead to a major mood boost and overall more positive outlook.
  • Navigating transitions smoothly — College is a time of change and transition. Whether you’re at the beginning or end of your time at college, you’re likely still making big transitions. If you’re just starting college, you might still be adjusting to life away from your home. If you’re getting ready to graduate, you may be working on a transition to higher education or a professional career. Being able to make big decisions with confidence can make these transitions much more smooth and less stressful.

Research shows that mental health symptoms are often accompanied by impairments in decision‐making.

You don’t have to get better at making decisions on your own. Lightfully U can help you address the core processes behind indecision, enabling you to work toward lasting improvement. The framework of our Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (vIOP) is based on evidence, compassion and whole-person-centered care. With our help, you can become more decisive, confident and fulfilled.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to start addressing your mental health symptoms and become more decisive, reach out to our team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.

Want to learn more about the connection between mental health and decision-making? Look for the next blog in our “Making Big Decisions” series.

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