Making Decisions With Mindfulness

Recent research on mindfulness problem solving, or mindful presence, found that this practice can have a positive impact on our decision. Why? Because mindfulness allows you to focus on the present to avoid thinking in “auto-pilot”, which will inevitably give you long-term benefits.

Sometimes it is difficult to make decisions. There may be  doubts or fears that cause you to reconsider your situation and doubt whether you should quit or continue. So how do you know you’re doing the right thing? How do you know you’re not making a mistake? Mindfulness can help you in this regard.

Decision-making processes with mindfulness

The teachings of the Buddha claim that suffering stems from wrong decisions made in ignorance. It is clear that the mind has its own nature, its own life. So in order to free your mind from all suffering, you need to understand it.

Mindfulness is one of the most powerful tools that allows you to understand your mind and focus your attention. It is a practice that helps you to be aware at all times. It teaches you to pay attention to what is happening, how and why, and of course to focus on how you feel when it happens.

Mindfulness helps you go from the surface of the mind to the deepest corners. Even if your head is full of thoughts, this technique will make it easier for you to find some peace. It is therefore advisable to make mindfulness decisions to get a clearer picture of what you should do, what you are capable of doing, and how you can act accordingly. Of course, it is not easy to be conscious all the time, but you learn what works best for you with a little practice.

Attentive breathing helps you learn to pay attention and accept everything that comes to your mind ; no judgment, no thoughts and no violence. Practicing mindfulness is no different from any other activity or skill you have learned before, such as cooking, walking, reading, or playing. The more you practice it, the more skilled you become at it. And little by little, the conscious moments will last longer until they become conscious days, conscious weeks, conscious years…

The decisions you make define you

Decision-making processes have four stages, and each of them can benefit from mindfulness.

Identify the decision to be made

With mindfulness, you can become more proactive by identifying the moment you should or should not make a decision. This is possible when you have a good idea of ​​what your goals and opportunities are, when you avoid opposition to a commitment that arises due to previous bad decisions, and when you recognize the ethical dimension of the decision.

Some studies suggest that people who practice mindfulness are also more aware of their ethical principles. So, mindfulness decision making is closely linked to your own values. On the contrary, people who cannot link their decisions to their goals and core values ​​may find that their choices do not lead them where they want to go.

Making mindfulness decisions: Gathering information

This phase involves researching and gathering all available information to make the right decision. Two important aspects at this stage are the quantity and quality of the information. Researchers have found that if you practice mindfulness, you can develop a greater tolerance for uncertainty, making you more determined to make decisions, even without knowing all the variables.

Therefore, decision-making with mindfulness is the way to recognize the limits of knowledge and the extent of uncertain situations.

To reach a conclusion

On the other hand, mindfulness also helps you evaluate and quantify the discrepancy between intuition and the systematic analysis you make before making a decision. This means taking a step back from your thoughts and feelings to have a broader perspective, to know what is relevant or not, and to be less inclined to believe in stereotypes.

Reaching a conclusion means taking action. Some studies show that people who practice mindfulness are less likely to fall victim to the phenomenon of “just talk and no action”. Thus, mindfulness reduces cognitive inflexibility, which is the tendency to make decisions based on automatic thought patterns.

Making mindfulness decisions: Learning from feedback

This last phase is incredibly important in the decision-making process. It can sometimes be difficult to accept the mistakes you make. However, mindfulness helps you with this by getting you to reduce your defensive responses, which means you will be more open to negative feedback. You will be braver and more agile.

Therefore, people who practice mindfulness are more likely to learn from past experiences. In addition, it is easier to let go of your ego when you are more open to negative feedback.