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Having fewer choices can promote happiness

A comedian used to joke that his mother’s menu consisted of two choices: “Take it or leave it.”

Though it may sound counterintuitive, having fewer choices can promote happiness. This is because the more options you have, the more opportunities you have to regret the choice you’ve made. Do you wish you’d chosen a different cellphone? Would you have been better off with a different financial investment or Medicare drug plan option? The more choices there are, the smaller the percentage that seems to be “right.”

Simply making choices can be exhausting. In a University of Minnesota study published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, having more shopping choices interfered with people’s ability to pay attention and complete simple arithmetic problems. If you want to focus your attention on an upcoming activity or need the emotional equilibrium to handle challenging personal situations, you’re better off limiting the number of choices you make beforehand.

Meditation or spiritual retreats, often intentionally limit choices. Eating and savoring whatever is offered, or not having to choose your outfit or plan your day’s agenda, can be very freeing and allow your attention to stay focused. Keep this in mind as you move through your day. Keeping options in check may help you feel more focused and happier with the decisions you do make.

Tips for simplifying choices 

  • Go on a choice diet. For choices of no great consequence, limit the amount of time or number of options you’ll consider.
  • Cut off your opportunities for second-guessing: go ahead and wrap or mail that gift; wear and launder your new pants so they can’t be returned.
  • For substantial decisions such as buying a car, changing jobs, or making critical medical or financial choices, take your time. But here, too, try not to spend a lot of time looking back once the decision is made.

For more on drawing on your strengths and finding the positive meaning in your life, buy Positive Psychology, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.

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