by Stephanie Schwartz, Psy.D.
Many people feel anxious when making big decisions during times of change. Whether it’s a new job or new apartment, with most life transitions there is a choice to be made. Usually there are pros and cons to the different options and one choice isn’t 100% “right.” Thus, there is some degree of uncertainty involved and people may feel anxious about uncertain situations. With any change it is understandable to feel some concern and to have a desire to make a good decision. However, if thoughts about the decision or the change are constant, intrusive, and interfering with your daily life, you are likely feeling anxious rather than just concerned. If this is the case, try asking yourself: (1) Have I based this choice on all of the information I presently have? (2) Is there any way that I could absolutely know what the “right” decision is? (3) Is continually thinking about this choice helping me make a decision or is it just making me feel anxious about what could be? (4) Is it worth it to make a choice even though I can’t know for sure it is the “right” one? If you believe you have made an informed decision it can be helpful to remind yourself that: (1) You are only able to make a decision based on the information you have at the time (2) Excessively thinking about the options often doesn’t make the “right” decision more clear (3) Throughout life it is worth it and often necessary to take some “risk.”
