From the mundane to the consequential we make thousands of decisions every day. We always want to make the right choice but exploring every option for the best possible outcome can overwhelm our brains. And having so much information at our fingertips creates so many choices it’s no wonder it can feel impossible to make any decision at all.

So you throw your hands up in the air and just drop the whole thing. You may feel like you’re lazy or procrastinating, but it’s much more likely what you’re experiencing is analysis paralysis. That’s what happens when you overanalyze a decision so much that you can’t decide what to choose so you do nothing.

The risk of not making the right choice when decisions directly impact the well-being of you or your loved ones can send you into a stalemate. When you need something to propel you to come to a conclusion, using the 5-5-5 Rule may be just the thing. A quick and effective tool to thaw the brain freeze and encourage self-trust, this system can help you determine if agonizing over a decision is worth the angst by enabling you to see the bigger picture.

Whether your decision is large or small, when you’re stuck, ask yourself these three simple questions: Will this matter in 5 minutes? In 5 months? In 5 years? It’s a way to put your decisions in perspective by considering the impact they’ll have in the moment, down the road and in the long run. When you take a step back and review the time-bound effects of your choices, you may see that the answer was in front of you the whole time.

While not every decision is going to be perfect, each decision made is a step toward feeling more confident about making those important decisions in the future. Place the focus on making progress, and ask yourself one more thing: “What’s the next best step I can take right now?”

 

If you, someone you love or someone in your network needs support on the journey of addiction recovery and emotional well-being, The Recovery Coach NY is here to help. Our program, developed by Founder & President Cindy Feinberg, is based on the philosophical theory of holism: The system as a whole determines how the parts behave. Working together, we develop a plan to provide the safety, structure and accountability that promotes long-term wellness.

Learn about the benefits of working with a member of our Recovery Coach and Mental Health Coach teams by having a confidential conversation with Cindy via phone at 631-921-4085 or reach her directly via email here.

We provide Mental Health Support & Coaching, Recovery Support & Coaching, Sobriety & Mental Health Companionship, Accountability & Executive Function Coaching, Academic Coaching, Scholastic Support, Case Management, Safe Transport, Psychedelic Integration Coaching, Intervention and Emergency Services. For more information, visit our website.

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