The combination of stress and decisions is a recipe for DISASTER!
You have been under stress for nearly two years now. Even if you are quite resilient, it is bound to be taking a strain on your overall wellbeing.
There is a considerable amount of scientifically researched data showing the relationship of stress/strain on your decision making ability.
If it is just to decide the colour of your new beret, then it is not too important if it is not the best decision!
Does stress + decision making = disaster?
However, the Sage Publications states: “Participants’ choices exhibited a stronger reflection effect when participants were under stress than when they were in the no-stress control phase. This suggests that stress modulates risk taking, potentially exacerbating behavioral bias in subsequent decision making. Consistent with dual-process approaches, decision makers fall back on automatized reactions to risk under the influence of disruptive stress.”
Conversely, MIT discovered: “Neuroscientists find chronic stress skews decisions toward higher-risk options.”
Does this tie into the ‘Great Resignation?”
It is interesting that more people than at any other time, are choosing to quit their regular job. This is an enormous decision to make. The largest age group doing this are 20 – 30 years old. MIT says some people will take high risk decisions. Or does this mean if you are older you are more likely to keep your status quo (as much as it possible!)? This would go with the Sage research.
This blog is really to wave a flag, that IF you have to make big and difficult decisions in your work or life – please be a bit wary of the affects that the strain of stress may be having on you.
Please let me know what you think, and how you feel your decision making might have been affected.
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