Making decisions isn’t always easy. Of course, often, it depends on how weighty the decision is.
But sometimes, it also depends on our frame of mind and emotional state.
If you’ve ever felt frazzled, worried, or anxious when having to make a decision—big or small—you know how torn your mind can be. Jumping back and forth between which choice to go with, it feels like your brain is short-circuiting. Over time, some people give up and begin to label themselves as “indecisive,” which can have a negative effect on their self-esteem, confidence, and relationships with others.
The Neuroscience Behind Decision-Making
Making a decision typically means we have to weigh the risks, rewards, and consequences of any actions we may take. And if we’re faced with a complex decision, we may break this process of weighing down into several small ones.
Interestingly, our brain does something similar as it computes the possible outcomes and what would be the best decision.
Previously, researchers thought that our higher reasoning center, the prefrontal cortex, which plays a crucial role in executive functions—such as the process of calculating risks, rewards, and consequences—was mainly responsible for decision-making. Turns out, though, when we make a decision, there is a lot of overlap between different areas of our brain, involving in a highly complex process. And this includes the area that processes our emotions, the limbic system.
Essentially, we need the input from our emotions that supplies meaning and motivation for effective decision-making. The orbitofrontal cortex creates this bridge, connecting the frontal lobes of our brain with the regions handling our emotions.
How Anxiety Affects the Decision-Making Process
Anxiety is a common modern-day experience for many people. Not only is it a component of a variety of mental and emotional disorders, but it can affect anyone at any time in their life.
Perhaps we’re confronted with a major life transition, a chronic illness, a loss of a loved one, a financial crisis, an epidemic or catastrophe, or other critical situations. And suddenly, anxiety springs up and robs us of our clear-thinking faculties exactly at the moment when we need them most!
How exactly does that happen?
Making decisions, like many other behaviors, is encoded in our brain by certain groups of neurons (brain cells).
Previously, scientists assumed that anxiety over-engages brain circuits and basically “fries” them. Through further study, however, researchers have begun to understand that anxiety instead actually disengages neurons, disrupting normal decision-making activity in the brain.
In other words, anxiety selectively numbs the effect of these neurons and, thus, weakens their encoding power. While this primarily affects the brain cells in the prefrontal cortex related to cognitive functions, it also disturbs the areas responsible for emotional regulation and behavior control.
In effect, our brain short-circuits not from overload but because the flow of neuron activity involved in the decision-making process suddenly becomes suspended.
Reducing Anxiety Helps Improve Decision-Making
Obviously, making good decisions is important especially during times of distress, when we feel overwhelmed, chaotic, or out of control. But as noted previously, those are also the times when decision-making is the hardest.
The good news is that, even when we find ourselves in an anxiety-inducing situation, we can learn to make changes and proactively reduce anxiety. In fact, taking that first step to curtail anxious feelings and worries can empower us. And that can create an upward spiral that leads to continuously making better choices.
That’s because the link between anxiety and bad decision-making also runs in the reverse. Poor decisions can exacerbate anxiety and lead to more bad choices—in essence, creating a snowball effect. Hence, anxiety can be the outcome or the cause of making unhealthy decisions. By interrupting that cycle, we stop the negative flow in both directions. Have you labeled yourself as “indecisive?” Do you struggle with making a decision, no matter how big or small it may seem?” If you struggle with decision making and wonder if it could be related to anxiety, or if you would like information about how to overcome anxiety or how anxiety therapy may be able to help you, please contact me.