How to use meditation for decision-making: 4 steps
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Can meditation help with decision-making? Explore why making decisions is so hard and how to use meditation to enhance your confidence in your choices.
Decision-making can be one of the most challenging things we experience. The big life choices, such as where to live or which passion to pursue, can feel daunting, overwhelming, and impossible. Some days, the smaller choices, like picking out an outfit or deciding what to have for lunch, can feel exhausting too.
However, decision-making doesn’t need to be all-consuming. There are ways to make it feel easier. Put down that pro-con list, take a deep breath, and explore meditation. This practice may help increase your focus and provide you with tools to approach decision-making with greater clarity and confidence.
Why is decision-making so hard?
Making a decision can be a complex process. Not only do you have to evaluate your options and try to predict an outcome, but you also have to consider emotional and intellectual factors.
Fear of making the wrong choice: You might feel anxiety about the potential negative consequences of your decisions. This fear can lead to second-guessing and hesitation, making the process more stressful and prolonged.
Information overload: Having information is beneficial to the decision-making process, but too much can be overwhelming. Take a look at what you know and decide what's needed and what isn't. Getting rid of information that isn't helpful or necessary can help you make decisions faster and more efficiently.
Emotional biases: Previous experiences, emotions, and preconceived notions can influence our decisions and make it hard to see things clearly. For example, past failures might make us overly cautious, while emotional attachments might lead us to make choices that aren’t the best for us.
How to use meditation for decision-making: 4 steps
Using meditation in your decision-making process can help you to evaluate your options calmly and clearly, which can lead to choices that are more aligned with your needs. Start with short meditation sessions, and gradually increase how long you meditate for as you become more comfortable. Even a few minutes of daily meditation can help improve your decision-making ability.
1. Set a clear intention
Begin by identifying the decision you need to make. Clearly state your intention to gain clarity and make the best possible choice. This focus can help you direct your meditation session toward the decision at hand.
💙 Practice Intentionality when you get clear about the “why” behind the choice you need to make.
2. Practice mindfulness meditation
Find a quiet place, sit comfortably, and close your eyes. Take deep breaths, paying attention to the sensation of air entering and leaving your body. When your mind wanders, gently bring your focus back to your breath. This can help you stay present and enhance your awareness, which can make it easier to think clearly about your decision.
💙 Check out Mindfulness for Beginners, a 30-day guided program for people exploring mindfulness meditation for the first time.
3. Use focused attention meditation
Focused attention meditation involves concentrating on a specific thought or question. Sit quietly and bring your decision to the forefront of your mind. Allow yourself to explore your thoughts and feelings about the choice you need to make. This can help you uncover insights and perspectives you might not have considered before.
💙 Strengthen your ability to concentrate with this short Finding Focus meditation from Jeff Warren.
4. Try open monitoring
After focusing on your question, shift to open monitoring. Sit quietly and allow your mind to wander freely so your thoughts flow naturally. Notice any insights or new perspectives that arise. This can help reveal unexpected solutions or offer new perspectives when it comes to the decision at hand, offering a broader view of the choice you have to make.
💙 Allow your focus to flow freely while still gaining clarity with Freestyle Focus guided meditation.
Can meditation help with decision-making?
Because meditation benefits your mind and body, it can promote calm and clarity, which can help you assess your options more easily and help you make decisions more quickly.
Improved focus: Research indicates that training our minds to focus on the present moment through meditation can help enhance our ability to concentrate. This improved focus can help us analyze our options more clearly and make more informed decisions.
Objective assessment: Meditation can help us observe our thoughts without judgment. When we can set aside our biases and emotions, we can evaluate our options objectively. This means we’re more likely to make rational decisions based on facts.
Enhanced brain function: Studies have shown that meditation can enhance brain function in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for planning, problem-solving, and emotional regulation.
Confidence and calm: Some people find meditation makes them feel more confident in their choices, and others notice a reduction in stress and anxiety when making important decisions.
The role of intuition in decision-making
Intuition can greatly impact our decision-making by allowing us to tune into our gut feelings about certain situations. And meditation can help you connect with these inner thoughts and reduce distractions. By increasing awareness and holding space for your intuition through regular meditation, you can learn to trust your gut feelings and make decisions that align with your true desires.
Practices like mindfulness meditation, where you observe your thoughts without judgment, or loving-kindness meditation, which focuses on compassion and empathy, can help you better understand yourself. Over time, this can enhance your ability to make decisions that feel right on a deeper level.
Overcoming decision-making anxiety with meditation
Decision-making anxiety can happen for a number of reasons, including having an important or complex decision to make or being under pressure to make it quickly. Meditation can help you reduce this anxiety by promoting a calm and focused state of mind capable of making confident choices.
Calm the mind
Meditation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided imagery can help calm your mind and reduce immediate stress before you have to make a decision.
Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
Sit or lie down comfortably and close your eyes.
Take slow, deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
Focus on your breath, allowing each inhale and exhale to relax your body and mind.
Keep a meditative mindset
Staying present and mindful throughout the decision-making process can help you with clear thinking, preventing overwhelming feelings and promoting more balanced decision-making.
During the day, try to maintain a meditative mindset by pausing now and then to take a few deep breaths and refocus on the present moment.
When you’re faced with a decision, avoid rushing. Instead, take a moment to center yourself, breathe deeply, and remind yourself to stay present.
Maintain emotional balance
Regular meditation practice can help you stay emotionally balanced, which can help you make rational decisions. Emotions like fear, anger, or excitement can cloud your judgment, leading to impulsive or biased choices, but meditation encourages you to observe your emotions without getting swept away by them.
Acknowledge your feelings and let them pass without reacting to help you maintain a balanced emotional state.
Use this emotional stability to support more thoughtful and deliberate decision-making.
Learn techniques to reduce anxiety
Practicing specific meditation techniques regularly can help reduce anxiety related to decision-making, making it easier to approach decisions calmly.
The body scan technique, in which you focus attention on different parts of your body, can help release tension as you go.
Loving-kindness meditation, which involves sending positive thoughts to yourself and others, can help encourage a sense of peace and compassion.
Put meditative mindset in action
When faced with a tough decision, use your meditation skills to stay calm and collected. If you start to feel anxious, pause and take a few deep breaths. Remind yourself of the clarity and focus you achieve during meditation. Stay present, observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment, and approach the decision step by step to help you navigate even the most challenging decisions with greater ease and confidence.
Meditation for decision-making FAQs
Does meditation help with indecisiveness?
Meditation can help with indecisiveness. When you meditate regularly, you can enhance your ability to focus and stay present. This can help quiet the mental chatter that can lead to overthinking and indecision. By promoting a calm and clear mind, meditation can help you assess your options more objectively and make decisions with greater confidence. Meditation can also help reduce the anxiety associated with making a choice, helping you move forward more decisively.
How long should I meditate to improve my decision-making?
Starting with just 5–10 minutes of meditation daily can make a noticeable difference in your decision-making abilities. As you become more comfortable, gradually increase the duration to 20–30 minutes per session. Regular practice can help build the mental discipline and clarity to enhance decision-making. Even short, frequent sessions are beneficial, so find a routine that fits your schedule and stick with it.
Can meditation help with small day-to-day decisions or only major life choices?
Meditation can help with both small day-to-day decisions and major life choices. For everyday decisions, meditation can help you stay calm and focused, reducing the stress that can lead to poor choices. For bigger decisions, meditation can provide deeper clarity and emotional balance, helping you weigh your options more thoroughly and make well-considered choices. The mindfulness and focus developed through meditation can apply to all types of decisions, improving overall decision-making skills.
Can you rewire your brain with meditation?
Meditation can lead to changes in the brain, through what's known as neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to adapt, change, learn, and grow. Regular meditation practice can strengthen neural connections in areas associated with attention, emotional regulation, and decision-making, such as the prefrontal cortex. This rewiring can help improve cognitive functions, so you can feel ready to handle complex decisions. Over time, these changes can enhance your ability to think clearly, manage stress, and make more informed decisions.
How can I tell if meditation is improving my decision-making abilities?
You may notice several signs that meditation is helping to improve your decision-making abilities.
You might find you're calmer and more focused when faced with choices.
You may observe that you're more confident in your decisions, and less likely to second-guess yourself.
Others may comment on your improved clarity and decisiveness.
If you keep a journal to track your meditation practice and decision-making experiences, you'll likely see progress over time.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
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