How Anxiety Impacts Decision-Making and What to Do About It

Anxiety and Decision Making

Decision-making is a fundamental part of daily life, from choosing what to eat for breakfast to making career-altering choices. 

For most people, decisions are an exercise in logic and intuition, but for those dealing with anxiety, the process can feel overwhelming. 

Anxiety and decision-making often go hand in hand, creating a vicious cycle of overthinking, doubt, and regret.

But why does anxiety make decision-making so hard? How does it influence the choices we make? And most importantly, what can you do to regain confidence in your decisions? 

Let’s dive into these questions to better understand the connection between anxiety and decision-making—and how to overcome the challenges it creates.

Do People with Anxiety Struggle to Make Decisions?

The short answer is yes—people with anxiety often struggle to make decisions. But why does this happen? Here are the key reasons:

1. Overthinking: Anxiety triggers excessive rumination, making even simple decisions feel monumental. You might find yourself going over every possible outcome, worrying about worst-case scenarios, or second-guessing yourself long after making a choice.
2. Fear of Regret: For people with anxiety, the fear of making the “wrong” decision can be paralyzing. This fear often leads to avoidance or indecision, as it feels safer not to choose at all than to risk a bad outcome.
3. Self-Doubt: Anxiety erodes confidence, leaving you second-guessing your instincts and judgment. Even if you’ve made good decisions in the past, anxiety convinces you that this time, you’ll get it wrong.
4. Physical Symptoms: Anxiety isn’t just mental—it’s physical. Racing heartbeats, sweaty palms, and shallow breathing make it harder to think clearly, further complicating the decision-making process.

If you have anxiety, you’re not alone in feeling this way. Struggling with decisions is a common experience, but understanding why it happens is the first step to addressing it.

Is Indecisiveness a Symptom of Anxiety?

Absolutely. Indecisiveness is one of the hallmark symptoms of anxiety and can show up in several ways:

1. Avoidance: When faced with a decision, you might delay or avoid making it altogether. Anxiety amplifies the risks in your mind, leading you to put off choices until it’s no longer possible to avoid them.
2. Constant Seeking of Reassurance: Anxiety often drives people to seek validation from others before making a decision. While it might feel comforting in the moment, relying too heavily on external opinions can erode your ability to trust yourself.
3. Second-Guessing: Even after making a decision, anxiety can keep you trapped in self-doubt. You might replay the choice in your mind, worrying that you made a mistake or missed something important.
4. Overanalyzing Options: Anxiety makes it hard to prioritize information, leading to “analysis paralysis.” You might feel overwhelmed by the number of choices or spend too much time weighing pros and cons.

Indecisiveness isn’t just frustrating—it’s exhausting. Recognizing it as a symptom of anxiety can help you approach it with compassion and find ways to manage it.

Why Do I Make Bad Decisions When I’m Anxious?

If you’ve ever looked back on a decision and wondered, “Why did I do that?” anxiety may be the culprit. But why do we tend to make bad decisions when we’re anxious?

1. Impaired Cognitive Function: Anxiety activates the brain’s fight-or-flight response, which is designed to protect us in emergencies. However, this heightened state of arousal reduces activity in the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for logical thinking and problem-solving. As a result, decision-making becomes more reactive and less thoughtful.
2. Emotional Bias: Anxiety clouds judgment, making it harder to separate emotions from facts. When you’re anxious, you’re more likely to focus on fears and worst-case scenarios, leading to decisions based on avoidance rather than logic.
3. Short-Term Thinking: Anxiety pushes you to prioritize immediate relief over long-term benefits. For example, you might avoid a difficult conversation because it feels easier in the moment, even if it creates bigger problems down the road.
4. Low Risk Tolerance: Anxious individuals often avoid risks, even when taking a chance could lead to a better outcome. This tendency can result in overly cautious decisions that limit opportunities.

Understanding why anxiety leads to poor decision-making can help you recognize when it’s influencing your choices and take steps to counteract it.

How to Regain Confidence in Your Decision-Making

The good news? You can learn to manage anxiety and improve your decision-making skills. Here are actionable strategies to help:

1. Break Decisions Into Smaller Steps

When anxiety makes a decision feel overwhelming, break it into smaller, more manageable parts. Instead of focusing on the final choice, start by gathering information, setting priorities, or brainstorming options.

2. Set Time Limits for Decisions

Spending too much time on a decision can lead to overthinking. Set a specific time limit for making your choice—whether it’s 10 minutes for a small decision or a few days for a larger one. This helps prevent analysis paralysis and encourages decisive action.

3. Practice Self-Compassion

Remind yourself that no decision is perfect and that it’s okay to make mistakes. Instead of beating yourself up, focus on what you can learn from the experience.

4. Challenge Your Thoughts

Anxiety often distorts reality, making risks seem bigger than they are. When anxious thoughts arise, ask yourself:

• Is this fear realistic?
• What’s the worst that could happen?
• Have I made similar decisions successfully before?

Challenging anxious thoughts can help you see the situation more clearly and make decisions with greater confidence.

5. Lean on Your Values

When anxiety clouds your judgment, turn to your core values for guidance. Ask yourself, “What decision aligns best with my long-term goals and principles?” This approach helps shift the focus away from short-term fears.

6. Use a Decision-Making Framework

For bigger decisions, try using a structured framework, such as:

• List the pros and cons.
• Identify the best- and worst-case scenarios.
• Consider how you’ll feel about the decision in a week, month, or year.

Having a system in place can reduce the emotional weight of the decision.

7. Build Resilience Through Mindfulness

Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing, can help calm the physical symptoms of anxiety and improve focus. A clear mind leads to clearer decisions.

8. Seek Professional Support

If anxiety and decision-making struggles are significantly affecting your life, consider speaking with a therapist. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is particularly effective in addressing anxiety and improving decision-making skills.

Final Thoughts

Anxiety and decision making are deeply intertwined. 

When anxiety takes hold, it can make even the simplest choices feel insurmountable. From overthinking to indecisiveness to poor judgment, anxiety creates hurdles that can be frustrating and exhausting.

But it’s important to remember: you are not your anxiety. With the right strategies, you can learn to manage anxious thoughts, regain trust in your judgment, and make decisions with confidence.

So the next time you find yourself asking, “Why do I make bad decisions when I’m anxious?” or “Do people with anxiety struggle to make decisions?” know that you’re not alone—and that there are tools to help.

Decision-making may never feel easy, but it doesn’t have to be a source of constant stress. By practicing self-compassion, challenging anxious thoughts, and building mindfulness, you can take back control and make choices that align with your goals and values.

Remember: every decision, no matter how small, is a step forward. And with each step, you’re building the confidence to keep moving.