On average, adults make about 35,000 decisions every single day. Sure, this is a lot, however, a recent article from the Harvard Business Review suggests that about 30,000 of those decisions are made subconsciously. That means, we’re not actively thinking through roughly 85% of our decisions - and thank goodness for that because if we were, we wouldn’t have time to do anything else.
You might be thinking, 'if so many of my decisions are made subconsciously, then why do I need to be mindful?' Well, that’s actually exactly WHY we need to practice mindfulness.
Our brains and bodies make many of our decisions based off of past data we've collected about ourselves over the years. They use this data from years past to make real-time decisions about what's happening to us today.
This approach works well for many decisions. However, because we evolve daily, we need to use mindfulness to make decisions that meet our specific needs in real time. By practicing mindful decision-making, we can make it our new subconscious habit.
- What are some decisions that you make on autopilot each day?
- Think about even the smallest choices that you don't typically think about. For example: picking up your phone, what to eat for breakfast, what color clothing to wear, etc. Make a list in your journal.
Case Study
Let’s use a seemingly insignificant decision like choosing what you want to eat for breakfast. You’re accustomed to having a smoothie every morning for breakfast, so without thinking, you default to that choice every morning.
But, have you checked in with yourself before doing so? Perhaps you woke up feeling inexplicably anxious, and you really would like to feel more peaceful. You pause for a moment to check in with yourself, and you notice that you want something that would feel comforting and soothing to your mind and body right now. Perhaps a warm bowl of oatmeal would actually feel more nurturing to you than your usual smoothie.
You consume the warm, cozy oatmeal with some honey and a few dark chocolate chips on top, and your mind and body begin to feel their needs being listened to and tended to. And you’re one tiny step closer to peace.
Now, oatmeal isn’t the solution to anxiety by any means, but it’s one small decision of many that can help give your body what it needs in real time. Knowing that what you need today is different than what you needed yesterday, or might need tomorrow.
Final Thoughts
It seems simple because it is, but what proves challenging is consistently pausing to check in with yourself before making a decision. Practicing with small, risk-free decisions like what to eat and what to wear on a given day will start to strengthen your mindful decision making muscle. Mindfulness helps to create a roadmap for your subconscious to serve you in the truest way possible. Moreover, mindful decision-making represents the essential first step in aligning with your most authentic self, a goal we all strive to achieve.
- How are you feeling today?
- How do you want to feel today?
- What is one small action you can take to get you closer to that feeling?