20 Psychological Tips & Tricks To Make Life Easier

5. Limit Your Choices

One of the most fun things about being an adult is that sometimes your options can feel endless. You have the time, ability, and hopefully finances to do many of the things your heart would desire, within reason. However, that very openness of opportunity can sometimes lead to being struck with indecision. Using board game terms, this is called analysis paralysis, when the weight of having countless options causes you to freeze up and be unable to make any decision. For people with a long list of books to read, Netflix series to watch, or hobbies to practice, the number of choices can prevent anything from getting done at all.

If you routinely find yourself paralyzed by the tyranny of choice from among your many interests or options, limiting the number of items you can choose from to a small, manageable number can make all the difference. Parents often do this with children for school-day outfits, giving only two or three appropriate choices so the child can have a say and not get overwhelmed. This concept still definitely can apply to adults, and whittling down a list of video games you’d like to play or things you’d like to draw to a manageable list of three to five can help you from becoming overwhelmed and just scrolling Facebook all day instead.