Revealed: The decisions men and women struggle most to make

• Choosing what to cook for dinner is the hardest decision for all Brits to make
• Men (30%) are more likely than women (27%) to let others make small decisions for them
• Life coach reveals why decision making can be difficult and how to help

 

Choosing what to cook for dinner has taken the top spot as the UK's hardest everyday decision to make, with over a third (37%) of Brits struggling to decide. 

A recent poll, commissioned by Gala Spins, to uncover the nation’s decision-making habits has revealed which common life decisions that Brits find the hardest to make, as well as how men and women approach decision making differently.

Three in ten men (30%) said that they are happy to delegate small decisions for others to make, whilst women (27%) were less likely to hand over the decision making reigns.

When it comes to individual decisions, women (42%) and men (30%) both found choosing what to cook for dinner to be the most difficult decision for them to make.

Top five most difficult everyday decisions for men

1. What to cook for dinner – 30%
2. Where to go on holiday – 28%
3. Choosing which film to watch – 25%
4. What to eat from a menu – 21%
5. Which restaurant to go to – 18%

Top five most difficult everyday decisions for women

1. What to cook for dinner – 42%
2. What to wear – 31%
3. Choosing which film to watch – 25%
4. What to eat from a menu – 24%
5. Where to go on holiday – 24%

Women are significantly more likely to struggle to decide what to wear, with over a three in ten (31%) struggling to pick an outfit, compared to 17% of men.

On the other hand, men were more likely to have trouble deciding on a holiday destination. Over a quarter (25%) of men struggled to choose their getaway, ranking as the second hardest decision for men. For women, this ranked as the fifth hardest decision, with less than a quarter (24%) saying they found this decision difficult.

The main reason making decisions can be so hard is due to the decision-making process itself that can be complex, as well as many additional factors that make it difficult, such as the fear of missing out, the desire to minimize regret, and the general cognitive demands of the decision-making process.¹

Dr Mariette Jansen, a life coach, said: “Making a decision is always a big thing for some people. It doesn’t matter what the decision is about, it is about what the decision represents. A decision is a powerful act of confidence, speaking up and speaking out, excluding options, having an opinion and taking a stance, and that might evoke a reaction or a confrontation.

“Fear is the emotion that is behind indecisiveness. People pleasers are always worried about what other people will say. A perfectionist will always worry that they might miss out on something better. An insecure person will always fear they got it wrong and will be confronted.

“To become a better decision maker and improve your decision-making process, you need to discover the underlying fear that makes it hard to make a decision, and challenge that fear to improve your decision-making ability.”

Karina Adrian, Head of Brand Marketing and Partnerships at Gala Spins, said: “We all know making everyday decisions can be tough and not knowing what option to choose can limit you. Each one of us is unique, and although it can be difficult to take that first step, making these decisions can lead to new experiences and help us discover things we didn’t know we liked.

“We wanted to highlight that by repeatedly making the same choices you ultimately stop yourself from ever trying something new and we want to encourage people to look at decision making differently to bring them new experiences.”