Don't make important decisions until you read this!

Any decision results from a specific brain process... do you know how it works?

If not, keep reading this #BrainFactMonday as it will help you be more conscious and stop second-guessing yourself - knowing did the best you could with what you had - and regain plenty of mental energy.

⚙️ The 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺:
When you make significant decisions, several regions of your brain collaborate in harmony. One of the key players is the prefrontal cortex, which is often referred to as the brain's CEO. 🧠 This area is responsible for reasoning, evaluating consequences, and weighing options. At the same time, your emotional side of the brain (the limbic system) chimes in with feelings, instincts, and past experiences, influencing our choices. It's like a dynamic 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! 💃🤝

Now this means that, like it or not, every time you make a decisions IT IS impacted by your emotional state, even if it's a purely business decision.

So how do you make this mechanism work in your favour?

🏷️ 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: even if you don't feel any emotion in that specific moment, try to identify what lies in the background. Identifying and labelling emotions helps you understand their impact on your decision. For example, you might say, "I'm feeling anxious about this choice." and if that's the case, you may want to act accordingly (gather more data/feedback, postpone the decision after practising mindfulness activities and so on).

Overall, among the many benefits of labelling emotions in crucial moments, there's a reduction in the amygdala's activity and decreased 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Doing so will help you feel more confident in your decisions and significantly reduce the risk of second-guessing yourself and/or regretting some actions (or inactions!).

Make the most of this notion!