too many choices can lead to anxiety- 3 ideas to help
Headlines on magazines are designed to catch our attention. But really, they can fluster us with the anxiety of choice.
So easy…
5 simple ways…
_____ that anyone can do…
3 steps to conquering_______,,,
They tempt us into believing that tricks and techniques are all we need for the perfect life.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes those headlines are too much. They offer too many choices.
Choices that I can’t wrap my head around; that don’t fit easily into my life. That feel like one more burden.
One more failure.
One more thing on the to-do list that didn’t get done.
“We are surrounded by modern, time-saving devices, but we never seem to have enough time.”― The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
What is the paradox of choice?
The anxiety of choice, instead of being empowering, can be overwhelming.
Have you heard of the paradox of choice?
Very loosely paraphrased, we are faced culturally with more choices than ever before in history. Instead of being a fantastic thing, it can have the opposite result of paralysis.
I would take it a step further and say, for women, it causes unnecessary anxiety.
Unwanted comparison. Untrue assumptions about what everyone else is doing.
If you feel trapped by too many choices:
- Take a break from magazines. Don’t buy them for a period of time- for your mental health. Remember, those leading headlines? They are designed to sell magazines. No one, not even the column writers or editors, does all those things. There are the staff of all kinds, with lights and props to make those “easy” projects look, well, easy
- Even if a project IS easy, fun, doable—the timing isn’t always right. Everywhere you look might be showcasing fun little holiday ideas. They might truly be useful, affordable, adorable. BUT, and this is a big BUT, they still might not be right for YOUR season. No matter what the calendar says, our life dictates otherwise. If things are chaotic, don’t feel your family is missing out. A peaceful woman is a peace-spreading woman. A maniacal mom…we all know how that ends!
- Limit your choices by writing out a list. If you are like me, the list exceeds the length of the paper. Time for a reality check. Pick ONE thing. Eliminate the choices, just for now, and pick one thing. I know it feels impossible. But how much less anxiety to know you finished a day doing one thing really, really with your best effort, than to go to bed frazzled with 10 half-done (or unstarted) things. That eats up our peace
I personally LOVE magazines. But as life goes by, I have learned to take a break from so much choice. It isn’t just magazines, of course. Books, TV shows, and social media all suggest new and fun ways to add zest to living
A mental break from options
None of those do a bit of good if we allow ourselves to be filled with anxiety over the undone.
Enjoy the pretty pictures, smile at the idea of the recipes a show tantalizes us with. Nod your head at the directions that seem doable.
Then pick one thing. Just one thing. If it gets completed with enjoyment? Pick up something else.
If not? As Elsa says, let it go.
Resources to encourage:
Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Contentment
The Art of Rest: Faith To Hit Pause In A World That Never Stops
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