Indecisiveness and anxiety are common psychological conditions that can affect anyone. Indecisiveness is deciding against a range of alternatives, while anxiety is a state of uneasiness. A person who suffers from indecisiveness often faces difficulties in decision-making and may cause unnecessary negative feelings for themselves. These feelings can also be elevated when indecisive persons are around others because they may become afraid of their peers’ opinions on their decisions. At the same time, anxiety is a psychological condition that causes people to be overly concerned about making mistakes or failing at some task and can cause people to avoid certain situations and activities.
Indecisiveness and anxiety are commonly seen in individuals who suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Many people think of OCD as a condition that inhibits their daily life, fearing that they might hurt someone or harm themselves. For these individuals, indecisiveness and anxiety are usually triggered by the desire to avoid whatever causes them pain or discomfort. On the other hand, for someone with ADHD, indecisiveness and anxiety could be caused by their inattention to details or excessive impulsivity that prevents them from making sound judgments.
Both indecisiveness and anxiety can result in other adverse effects such as loss of sleep, isolation, and withdrawal from society. The main problems associated with these conditions are lack of confidence, low self-esteem, and loneliness.
Table of Contents
What is indecisiveness?
Indecisiveness is when a person cannot make up their mind about choosing one specific thing in life, ranging from decisions in everyday lifestyles to major life-changing events.
Indecisiveness is a trait in which a person frequently has difficulty choosing or deciding between options. The dilemma often results from the options being equally appealing at the time, with neither choice being vastly more preferable than another. A person who frequently experiences indecisiveness may have a problem with “analysis paralysis,” which is when someone cannot choose or decide between options due to excessive analysis of what each choice entails.
Indecisive people often try to prolong committing to a relationship so that they do not have to come up with a decision that could potentially change their lives. Some people may take a “grass is greener” approach and delay deciding because they think another option would be better than before. People who tend to be indecisive often feel stressed out because of their inability to make a decision that would benefit them.
Indecisiveness can also cause excessive thinking, which leads one to overanalyze every detail of a situation. The subject is still being analyzed even when there is no longer time or energy left to decide on a course of action. Even though this process may seem harmless, overthinking causes indecisiveness. The subject is still being analyzed even when there is no longer time or energy left to decide on a course of action.
Indecisiveness means being unable to conclude something because one keeps changing their mind repeatedly or because one cannot decide at all.
This often occurs when the person must choose between two options, not knowing which one would be best for them.
Indecisiveness is so common that almost everyone experiences it in some way or another during their lives. It can happen in situations with no significant impact on a person’s life, such as which shirt they should wear to a party.
However, indecisiveness can also occur in important decisions that affect a person’s future, such as quitting one job and starting another or going back to school for a degree.
Indecisiveness causes
Being indecisive is caused by several factors, varying from person to person.
These factors are age, gender, intelligence level, type of decision being made, how important the decision is and past experiences.
Age: Researchers have found that younger people tend to be more indecisive than older people when faced with risk-taking decisions. This could be because younger people have not experienced enough consequences in their lives to make them realize how crucial it is to stand by one’s decisions.
Intelligence Level: Having a high IQ does not necessarily mean that a person makes fewer mistakes when faced with decisions. Instead, it was found that people who score well on IQ tests make better decisions and can think more clearly than others when faced with a decision.
Gender: Men and women often have different ways of dealing with their indecisiveness. Women tend to show more anxiety in their indecision than men, which causes them to internalize the situation and try harder to make a choice they feel comfortable making. This kind of stress can be incredibly harmful to a person’s mental health, so it is essential to seek help for anxiety.
On the other hand, men are more inclined to externalize their indecisiveness by criticizing themselves and putting themselves down for being unable to make a choice.
Type of Decision: People faced with more significant decisions tend to be more indecisive than those faced with less critical decisions.
People also tend to be more indecisive when dealing with decisions that involve risk-taking or acting because of the level of effort involved in making that decision.
How Important the Decision is: People who feel as if their lives could be negatively impacted by their decisions are more inclined to be indecisive about what to do. This kind of stress and anxiety can cause someone to avoid making a decision altogether, which would lead them nowhere in life and prevent them from moving forward.
Past Experiences: Many people tend to handle their indecisiveness the same way every time they face a similar situation. This means that past experiences can also affect how indecisive a person is in the present.
For example, if someone decides to move to another country because they were worried about their career prospects in the current country, but it turns out it was not so bad at all. Everything worked out well, and they would have much less anxiety in future decisions that could potentially impact their career.
Indecisiveness and Anxiety
Anxiety and indecisiveness can go hand in hand because having anxiety can cause a person to be indecisive.
When this happens, they put themselves in a position where their stress and anxiety only grow stronger.
Indecisiveness can be common among those who have been traumatized, as psychologists believe that indecisiveness is the person’s way of coping with traumatic situations from their past. Indecisive people often find it hard to make decisions because they fear making the wrong choice and ending up regretting it.
They often feel as if they cannot make the right decision, which leads to avoiding potentially life-changing decisions altogether.
Indecisiveness and ADHD
People with ADHD tend to be more indecisive than those who do not have this disorder.
Adults and children with ADHD often feel overwhelmed by their thoughts and feelings, whether these experiences are caused by an external stimulus or by their own emotions.
This overload can cause a lack of control and discipline for people with ADHD because they may have difficulty distinguishing between what is important and what is not, contributing to indecisiveness. Indecisiveness due to ADHD could also be caused by the impulsive behaviors associated with this disorder, such as rushing through tasks.
Indecisiveness and depression
One study noted that indecisiveness was closely related to depressive symptoms in adolescents, especially when they had low self-esteem.
The relation between indecisiveness and depression is believed to be explained by the fact that people who suffer from both conditions tend to avoid making decisions, leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Depression can also cause indecision, as the individual would only see the negative aspect of life rather than its positive side.
Indecisiveness in relationships
Indecisiveness can often cause problems in relationships because one person cannot communicate their thoughts or feelings due to fear of how others perceive them.
When making decisions, indecisive people would rather ignore the topic entirely instead of creating conflict or hurting their partner’s feelings for fear of losing them.
Some people may take a “wait and see” approach to relationships, which can bring unnecessary tension and anxiety because the other person cannot comprehend the reason behind their partner’s behavior. Indecisive people often try to prolong committing to a relationship so that they do not have to come up with a decision that could potentially change their lives.
Indecisive people tend to think about initiating relationships for a long time before actually taking action.
They may spend hours contemplating this major life-changing decision, going back and forth in their minds about whether or not it is the right thing to do.
Indecisive people tend to have trouble saying “I love you” first in a relationship because they are afraid of what their partner may think of them. They may even contemplate breaking up with someone before being able to tell them that they love them because they fear rejection and vulnerability.
Whether it is dating or starting a new job, indecisive people often need plenty of time before they can make such life-changing decisions.
An indecisive individual would have difficulty establishing stable relations with others, as they cannot commit to a relationship quickly. The fear of being hurt or not being good enough can lead to indecisiveness.
An indecisive person is also likely to be very critical of themselves, leading to even more indecisiveness. This causes them to be very passive in life and not take up challenges easily, which is the opposite of an assertive individual.
Indecisiveness and overthinking
Overthinking is a cognitive process where one’s mind continuously wanders from topic to topic, thinking about many things at once. An indecisive person who encounters a problem may end up overthinking, as they tend to think about all possible outcomes of the solution to that particular problem. This keeps them from acting on the problem itself, leading to indecisiveness.
- Indecisiveness can also be caused by excessive thinking and overanalyzing every detail of a situation so that the person ends up staying idle instead of getting things done.
- Overthinking, in general, can be a significant factor when it comes to causing indecisiveness.
- People with ADHD tend to have a tough time turning their thinking off, which contributes to the inability to make decisions regardless of the importance or simplicity of each situation.
- People who overthink everything about a situation end up delaying their decisions so that they can continue contemplating it in their minds.
- Although this process may seem harmless, overthinking causes indecisiveness. The subject is still being analyzed even when there is no longer time or energy left to decide on a course of action.
- Indecisive people are often more vulnerable to overthinking than others, especially when making decisions related to their future, such as what career path they should follow.
Indecisiveness and stress
Being stressed out can cause individuals to be indecisive about life decisions. When stressed out, their cortisol levels are high, which releases dopamine into the body, making it very difficult for individuals with anxiety disorders to decide as dopamine is also responsible for telling the body to avoid something that might not be rewarding.
People who tend to be indecisive often feel stressed out because of their inability to make a decision that would benefit them.
Anxiety and stress about the outcome of a situation can affect the indecisive person’s decision-making skills.
Indecisiveness can also cause them to feel stress about how their decisions will affect others, even if the consequences are not dire or severe.
It is common for a person who is indecisive about blaming their lack of action on outside circumstances, such as making excuses to get out of a situation they know deep down inside that they cannot handle.
Indecisiveness when shopping
When thinking about buying an item or product, indecisive people constantly think about whether they should buy it. They might also keep imagining how useful or useless the product would be. This can lead to not purchasing the product. For example, if a person is indecisive about buying an item and cannot decide on the product at the point of purchase, they will most likely leave and visit other shops or visit later.
Indecisiveness and trauma responses
When an indecisive person experiences a traumatic event (e.g., the death of a close family member), the mind will not cope with it easily, leading to indecisiveness in various life situations. A traumatic event might lead to indecision in the victim’s life, as the minds of the victims of a traumatic event may try to protect them from further harm by being indecisive. This would shield them from the event happening again.
How to deal with indecisiveness and anxiety
Being stressed out or overly anxious can cause one to be indecisive about life decisions, but there are many techniques for coping with stressful feelings. One of these ways is learning to be aware of your feelings without overreacting to them.
One can also learn how to manage their feelings of anxiety and stress by practicing mindfulness, focusing on the present and taking note of your senses (e.g., sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).
Another strategy is distraction; one way of distracting yourself from feeling anxious or stressed out is to take deep breaths.
Cut down on caffeine intake and get enough sleep, as this will help with the symptoms of stress and anxiety. If things become extreme, you can always seek professional help from counsellors or therapists.
When you are first attempting to decide, set a time limit for yourself. If, after that time, you have still not made up your mind, just go along with whatever choice you feel most inclined toward. The other option is to simply take your time in making decisions rather than rushing into things.
In the end, being indecisive may have a traumatic response for those with anxiety or stress issues. You don’t need to be concerned as long as you take your time making a decision and do not respond to feelings of anxiety and tension!
There are many treatment options for those struggling with anxiety and indecisiveness, such as counseling, medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Counseling can help someone learn how to handle their anxiety or other mental health issues better, not relying on medications.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, in particular, helps people change their negative thought processes and replace them with healthy and more positive ones to help them make better choices when faced with difficult situations.
The main thing to remember is that there are ways of managing feelings of anxiety or stress without resorting to medication. It is okay to take your time when making decisions, as rushing into things will only cause more problems in the long run. Thus, one does not have to be anxious about being indecisive!
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (FAQs)
Is indecisiveness a symptom of ADHD?
Though not all people with ADHD struggle with making decisions, it can be. For people with ADHD, making decisions can be difficult because it’s hard to filter out all the distractions and focus on what’s important.
There are a few things that can help make the decision-making process more manageable:
- Break the decision down into smaller parts, so it’s not as overwhelming.
- Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
- Ask someone else for their opinion.
- Make a “trial run” of the decision to see how it feels before making a final decision.
Is indecisiveness a symptom of anxiety?
Indecisiveness can be a symptom of anxiety, but it can also be a symptom of other mental health conditions like depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. It’s generally caused by excessive worrying and rumination about the potential consequences of different choices, leading to paralyzing indecision.
If you’re struggling with indecisiveness, it’s crucial to get help from a mental health professional. Treatment usually involves cognitive-behavioral therapy, which can help you address the thoughts and behaviors that contribute to your indecisiveness. Medication can be prescribed to help control anxiety symptoms.
What does indecisiveness say about a person?
Indecisiveness can mean a few different things. It could mean that the person is unable to make decisions, that the person is considering multiple options, or that the person is changing their mind often.
Each of these meanings has a different implication for the person’s personality. People who can’t make decisions might be seen as lazy or unambitious. A person considering multiple options might be seen as indecisive but also as thorough and analytical. And a person who changes their mind often might be seen as flighty or inconsistent.
So, indecisiveness can say quite a bit about a person’s character and personality.
What causes extreme indecisiveness?
Answer: Indecisiveness can be caused by many different things, such as fear of making the wrong decision, perfectionism, or a low tolerance for uncertainty.
It’s also often caused by cognitive biases, such as the sunk cost fallacy (the belief that you’ve invested so much in something that you can’t just give up), the gambler’s fallacy (the belief that a particular event is more likely to happen because it has not happened recently), or the projection bias (the tendency to believe that other people share our opinions and preferences).
Finally, it can also be caused by emotional factors, such as a fear of failure or change.
Is indecisiveness part of OCD?
Indecisiveness is not a core symptom of OCD, but it can be a common problem for people with OCD.
People with OCD often struggle with indecision because they are perfectionists and want to make sure that they make the “right” decision. They may also be afraid of making the wrong decision and regretting it later.
OCD can also cause problems with decision-making due to intrusive thoughts and doubts. For example, someone with OCD may constantly doubt their ability to make the right decision or worry that something terrible will happen if they make the wrong choice.
Indecisive people typically have difficulty making decisions because they can’t seem to filter out the irrelevant information, and they dwell on the possible adverse outcomes of their choices. People with OCD, on the other hand, are usually very decisive when it comes to their compulsions (e.g., needing to wash their hands a certain number of times, checking locks multiple times, etc.), but they struggle with decision-making outside of their compulsions.