It’s easy to waste an embarrassing amount of time on making a choice, but science has found there’s actually an ideal time of day for making major decisions. According to research and experts, morning is the best time to make decisions to ensure you make the right pick. And it all comes down to brain power.
Mornings are when people tend to be the most clear-headed, which is better for clearly looking at dilemmas. “Cognitive energy is not finite,” explains Judy Ho Gavazza, professor of psychology at Pepperdine University. “In the morning, you have more physical and mental energy and prowess. But over the course of the day, you're constantly making tons of decisions, including microdecisions like whether to do your makeup or hair first. They take up cognitive space—and by the evening, your brain is tired and not as effective at making decisions.”
But you don’t have to roll out of bed and decide whether to take the job or buy that house, Gavazza says the sweet spot for making your most important decision is about an hour or so after waking up. Within a few hours of getting up is when people tend to be at their best level of cognitive alertness and feel most effective. Even for night owls, morning is still the best time for decision making, according to experts.
So, what if your choice can’t wait until morning? Try these tactics for making the best decisions, no matter what time of day it is:
- Narrow down your choices - Keep cutting down options, as Gavazza explains, “The human mind can’t comprehend more than three to five options at a time.”
- Consider your values - Focus on the ideals you want to live up to and which choice aligns most with your values.
- Save creative work for the evenings - It’s when people edit themselves a little less and feel more carefree.
- Walk away for a while - If you’re still struggling to make the call, take a break to get perspective. And if you can, sleep on it and try again in the morning.⠀
Source: Real Simple