"Decision paralysis" and its effects on the life of the individual.. How can it be overcome?

Humans have different abilities to make decisions.

Some of them decide their decision very quickly, while others need more time, and there are those who find it difficult to make a decision in front of the options available to them, which can be described as "decision paralysis."

There are many consequences of "decision paralysis" in an individual's family and work life, in addition to its impact on health. What are its causes, and how can it be overcome?

Lack of courage in making a decision may be as bad as making a decision and enduring its consequences (Pixels)

What is "decision paralysis"?

The counselor in marital relations, Maha Bannoura, defines "decision paralysis" as the inability of the individual to make a decision, for fear of making the wrong choice, and explained to Al Jazeera Net that this "paralysis" has several reasons:

First:

There are many choices in an individual’s life that make it difficult to compare them to choose what is appropriate for his situation, environment, and beliefs.

Second:

Not training the individual on a number of skills, such as: creative and critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving.

This is due to the individual's upbringing in the family, school and university environments, his work experiences and his social relations at the family, professional and academic levels.

Bannoura believes that one of the most important reasons for "decision paralysis" is the failure to educate children on independence in thinking and developing it from childhood to adulthood, and the constant interference in the lives of children and excessive protection for them, which negatively affects the lives of their children when they decide to marry, for example.

Maha Bannoura: One of the most important reasons for "decision paralysis" is the failure to raise children to think independently and develop it from childhood (Al-Jazeera)

Decision paralysis in family life

Bannoura presents a group of negative images of the children’s lack of independence, such as the parents resorting to imposing restrictions on the way their children live, determining the form of life in which the son or daughter should live, and not allowing the new couple to make special decisions in their marital life, so they go through negative experiences and live in conflict Permanent between their will and the will of the parents.

She adds, "It is really unfortunate that the husband is placed between his family and their righteousness and between his life, happiness and independence with his wife. Here, the greatest pressure becomes on the husband, and he is sometimes forced to submit to pressure to be accepted in the family system. Here, the marriage reaches a dead end, and the solution to the problem becomes: divorce, or Deviating from the ordinary and living outside the family system, customs and beliefs.

She indicates that the problems and negative experiences that the spouses go through, from the moment of acquaintance, engagement, marriage and the restrictions imposed on them due to the upbringing of the parents, beliefs and customs, generate great psychological pressures that have a negative impact on their psychological and physical immunity, which negatively affects the lives of children, in the event of living in a system Frequent problems and pressures.

This would lead to the spouses not feeling safe and accepted by the family, in addition to anxiety, stress, lack of concentration, low academic level, and depression.

Then, a psychological, behavioral or family counselor is needed to provide appropriate care for the couple and family members.

You must undergo training courses that help young men and women to gain new experiences in ways of thinking and leadership (Pixels)

Training courses

Accordingly, Noura advises the category of young men and women, from the age of 18, to enroll in training courses that help them gain new experiences in ways of thinking, leadership and problem-solving, which will have a positive impact on their lives at the level of their social, family and professional relationships.

And she added, "Here, we are not looking for idealism in relationships, but when young men are equipped with new skills, they will be able to manage their affairs within the family system, while not allowing interference from any party, and setting barriers to protect the family from shocks or external interference."

Sawsan Kilani: Life needs initiative and courage, otherwise we will not taste the pleasure of any adventure in our lives (Al-Jazeera)

Overcoming "decision paralysis"

Human development trainer Sawsan Kilani believes that overcoming the inability to make decisions requires first acknowledging the problem, then searching for its causes, effective ways to get out of it once and for all, and not repeating the same mistakes in the future.

Kilani told Al-Jazeera Net, "In some cases, the reason for a person's failure to make a decision is fear of the consequences. And since some decisions have negative consequences, he prefers not to make any decision, believing that this is better for him, while the lack of courage in making a decision He may have the same disadvantages for making a decision and bearing its consequences, because we learn from experience and not from mere thinking. Regret for not making a decision may be painful, and it may last for a long time."

And she adds, "The important thing is that we know ourselves and what we want, and what makes us happy so we apply it, or makes us sad so we turn away from it. Then we set our priorities, and we are honest in our dealings, and we put God's piety before our eyes, then we trust in Him because He is capable of everything. Here, I advise istikharah, and gathering information Then we accept all the results and move forward no matter what happens, because life needs initiative and courage, otherwise we will not taste the pleasure of any adventure in our lives.

In some cases, the reason for decision paralysis is fear of results (pixels).

Effects of "decision paralysis"

Forecast published a report on the negative effects of "decision paralysis", considering that failure to make appropriate decisions has several consequences on the ground.

Here are some examples of its impact on your business:

Decreased productivity and delay:

Delaying decision making, or failing to make decisions altogether, can lead to delays at work.

If you frequently procrastinate and delay work, you are not being productive.

This can have serious consequences, especially when the action of others depends on your decision.

Mental health:

Decision paralysis can have implications for your mental health, as we don't have great willpower.

Also, spending a long time on making decisions can be mentally and psychologically exhausting.

Overthinking reduces creative thinking:

In many jobs, the ability to think creatively is essential to your success, and overthinking reduces your creativity.