Australian Natural Health — January-February 2018

For some decisions, you might be able
to feel some sort of deep-down wisdom
or guidance in your gut. “It’s just this
sense that you kind of know, that there’s
part of you that knows something,” says
Crouch. “You can’t quite explain it.” Dr
Fraser is a biomedical scientist, and even
he often goes with his gut. “Gut reaction
often tells us which decision is probably
the right one, and this happens before
we rationally do any decision-making,”
he says.
If uncertainty makes you squirm,
Crouch suggests a regular practice of
making small decisions that could
have pleasing or disappointing results.
For example, try ordering a meal you
haven’t had before. “Learn that you
can cope with discomfort, even when
something comes that you don’t like,”
she says. “Time and time again, you’ll
have situations that turn out well.
When they don’t, you’ll be okay. You’ll
become more able to make decisions
despite uncertainty.”
If you’re still craving some certainty,
Crouch suggests putting it around your
decision-making process. “Give yourself
a set amount of time to think about
something and to make a decision. You
might say to yourself, ‘I’ll sit down for
half an hour a day for two weeks and
research and think, and at the end of
that time I’m going to go with what I’ve
got, and make a decision,’” she says.
“You don’t have to get it right or perfect;
you’re just deciding to decide.”

FOR THE PEOPLE PLEASERS
Chronically indecisive people often find
it hard to tune into themselves, says
Crouch. “They’re so used to pleasing
other people and trying to get things
right rather than trying to get what they
want,” she says. “They’re not in touch
with their values and desires, or will push
away what they know they want because
they think other people won’t be happy.”
If this is you, Crouch suggests trying
an experiment for a few weeks. Every
time you’re making a decision, work out
what you would prefer to do if it didn’t
matter what anybody else thought.
Once you get good at that, Crouch
suggests you start asking yourself a

few additional questions, to check

your beliefs about the consequences of

your decisions: If you got the decision

wrong, what do you feel it would

mean about you? What are you afraid

people will think about you? How

would it feel to make a choice to do

what you want to do in spite of those

potential consequences?

THE FREEDOM OF FINALITY

Once you’ve made a decision, enjoy

the freedom of having chosen to

make it instead of staying stuck on

the decision-making roundabout,

Crouch suggests. Then let the decision

go without looking back. “Get strict

with not re-weighing the advantages

and disadvantages,” says Crouch. “You

made that decision already; it’s time to

move on.”

“Gut reaction often

tells us which decision

is probably the right

one, and this happens

before we rationally do

any decision-making.”

68 | AUSTRALIAN NATURAL HEALTH naturalhealthmag.com.au