How Stress Changes the Decisions You Make

Feeling stressed out? If you have a big decision to make, you might want to hold off. It turns out that if you are under a lot of stress, you may tend to focus more on the positive outcome of a decision and not carefully consider the risks.

A case in point is that students stressed out over upcoming exams may consume far more unhealthy snacks than they would otherwise. The immediate reward that a bag of chips or pack of M&Ms provides momentarily outweighs the negative effect of too many calories and unhealthy food choices. “It seemed like a good idea at the time….” Let’s take a closer look at how stress changes the decisions you make, and what you can do to reverse the negative impact on your life.

Stress Changes the Decisions You Make

According to a study out of USC, published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, individuals who are under chronic stress tend not to weigh all the risks associated with decisions, letting the hoped-for benefits sway their choice.

An example given was the stressed-out employee  who is offered an opportunity to work for another company. They may decide to change jobs based on the offer of a higher salary and ignore the lengthy commute and long work hours of the new position. In other words, if you are under stress, you may not weigh all the pros and cons of a situation carefully before making a decision. 

Decisions Made While Under Stress May Be Poor Ones

It turns out that if urgency is a factor in the decision to be made, it is even more likely that a stressed-out individual will choose poorly. We tend to look for decisions that take away the immediate discomfort of a situation, taking risks that come back to haunt us later. An individual who is in desperate need of a new car may select the first or second vehicle they look at without taking the time to check out its condition as carefully as they should. They have solved the problem in the short run, but ignoring the risks of a hasty purchase could be costly later. In their case, stress was a factor that impacted their decision.

Stress Is Reversible

If you know that stress changes the decisions you make, is there anything you can do about it? Yes, the effects of stress are reversible and by adopting a healthier lifestyle, you can alleviate stress and consequently make better decisions. The sooner you start managing your stress, the sooner you can prevent it from causing you to make poor choices. 

Ways To Manage Stress

At the Texas Hot Tub Company, we are in the business of alleviating stress. Some of the symptoms that you are suffering from chronic stress are tense muscles, poor sleep, inability to focus, and even frequent colds and flu. 

Studies show that using a hot tub or sauna on a regular basis can reverse the effects of stress. It makes sense that if you can turn the effects of stress around, you will therefore make better decisions when needed. “Physical, emotional, and mental wellness are rooted in a stress-free foundation”. When you regularly use your hot tub or sauna for relaxation purposes you will experience relaxed muscles, better sleep, better focus, and an improved immune system. Best of all you will experience less stress.

When it comes to the important decisions in our lives, we all want to be at the top of our game. You can see from the studies cited how stress changes the decisions you make. Texas Hot Tub Company can help with that. Contact our professional staff at one of our five DFW locations, and let us help you start your journey toward a healthier stress-free lifestyle. 

(updated 2/24/23)

LIMELIGHT OWNER'S MANUALS

The 2019 Limelight Collection Owner’s Manual will help you understand your spa’s features, and answer questions you might have regarding spa operation, water care, and maintenance. There is also a troubleshooting section included for your convenience.  

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