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Making Difficult Decisions

Making Difficult Decisions. Presented by: Deer Oaks EAP Services. A resource you can trust. Outline for Today’s Seminar . Address the impact of being faced with a difficult decision Discuss techniques to help make difficult decisions

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Making Difficult Decisions

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  1. Making Difficult Decisions Presented by: Deer Oaks EAP Services A resource you can trust

  2. Outline for Today’s Seminar • Address the impact of being faced with a difficult decision • Discuss techniques to help make difficult decisions • Explore resources that may assist you in making difficult decisions

  3. Facing Tough Choices • Unfortunately, most people are faced with difficult choices from time to time • By “difficult” we mean choices to which there is no clear, positive solution • There may be negative consequences to either choice • There may be serious implications for life, either way

  4. Facing Tough Choices, cont. • Most people have to worry about how a decision impacts other important people in their lives • Aside from the impact on our own lives, what legal, financial, or personal consequences would a person have to consider?

  5. Feeling Overwhelmed • Having to think about the consequences of any decision can be stressful and overwhelming • When people are faced with difficult choices, a common response is to feel lost and not know where or how to begin • When they have to make difficult decisions that might have significant consequences, people may tend to focus on a worst case scenario and make unrealistic predictions rather than imagining a range of possible outcomes

  6. How a Difficult Choice May Affect You… • Your thinking • Feeling as if your mind can quickly go blank and you have a hard time concentrating • Given the publicity that the Repair Bill and recent events have had, it may feel as if all of the information in the media clouds your ability to make a choice • Do you find that you can’t stop thinking about the decisions you may have to make? Is your mind racing?

  7. How a Difficult Choice May Affect You… • Emotionally • A person may feel like their moods may change more quickly or more drastically than usual • Some people may find themselves experiencing any of the following: anxiety, nervousness, anger, fear, helplessness, hopeless, and/or sadness

  8. How a Difficult Choice May Affect You… • Behaviorally • Have you noticed changes in your sleep? Do you toss and turn or have a difficult time falling/staying asleep • Have you lost interest in things that you used to enjoy? Are you isolating at work or at home?

  9. Taking Action • Although the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impact is usually short lived, it can still interfere with the quality of life if you don’t take steps to find a resolution • Taking action can reduce the chance that there will be a negative impact on your emotional (and perhaps physical) health • We will now discuss some ways to reduce the effects making a decision can have, by facing the decision head-on

  10. Taking Action:What You Can Do • Pump up your problem solving! • Organize your thoughts • Often times, a very helpful technique can be writing out your thoughts • Sometimes we suggest that people journal about what they are thinking and feeling • Given the significance of the current situation, it may be helpful to take writing one step further by mapping out consequences to the various decisions

  11. Analyze the Consequences • If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, write down a brief summary of the decision that you are facing. Exclude feelings and judgments; stick to the facts • Next, write out a timeline (one week, one month, six months, one year, five years, etc) • Write down ways that you think your decision will affect you at different points along the way, both positively and negatively

  12. Analyze the Consequences, cont. • Review the alternative choices that are available as well as the implications for the future • Take stock of which of your decisions is likely to have the most positive outcomes • Next, consider short/long term outcomes, as well as the impact on family life, finances, etc.

  13. Type of ConsequencesTo Consider • Financially: Which option will be better in the long run? In other words, how will you save/earn to your highest potential? • Family: If I make this decision, how will it impact my family? Will it impact our benefits? Will I be able to financially support them? Will my happiness and wellbeing affect my family? • Future endeavors: Will the current decision affect future career choices? Will it be something that future employers may take into consideration? • Personally: Does this decision fall in line with my general values and morals?

  14. Getting Stuck? • Sometimes, a person may still feel uncertain about their choices, even after trying all of the techniques that we have just covered • Given how complicated the current situation is, this could be a common reaction • Instead of allowing yourself to feel overwhelmed, give yourself permission to turn to someone else to help you figure things out…

  15. Asking for Help • Often, getting another person’s perspective can help us see the ramifications of any decision more clearly • This may include personal support systems (family and friends) or professional help (therapists, legal/financial advisors)

  16. Personal Support Systems • Family • If your decision could affect your family, you may want to discuss it with your spouse or other family members • Friends and Co-workers • Sometimes, peers can be very helpful in analyzing a decision that you have to make • However, all of these people could be biased because of their emotional ties to you. Co-workers may not be able to offer a different perspective because they are facing exactly the same challenges as you

  17. Professional Support Systems • Sometimes, an impartial source of support can help you reach a decision more objectively • Counseling Services • Therapy is a great avenue for you to receive support, feedback, and guidance. A therapist can also help you cope with the stress of making a difficult decision • Legal/Financial Advice • A legal and/or financial professional can give you the information that will help you fully understand the impact of your choices

  18. Taking Care of Yourself • The current situation in Wisconsin is bound to be very stressful. If you feel like you are noticing any of the cognitive, behavioral, or emotional effects we discussed earlier, it is even more important to take care of yourself • Stay engaged in hobbies, activities, family life • Exercise helps, along with getting enough sleep and eating right • Seek balance; don’t let the decision affect everything you do • If you feel like you are having a hard time with any of above, its probably time to seek other resources

  19. Summary • It is hard to make a difficult decision • Try to make decisions based on facts not emotions. • Ask for help…it is available. EAP can offer assistance in many different ways. • Take care of yourself. • Questions? Comments? Discussion?

  20. This has been a presentation by Deer Oaks EAP ServicesTo contact Deer Oaks EAP Services, call 866-327-2400 A Resource You Can Trust

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