{"id":609,"date":"2026-05-16T07:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T07:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/?p=609"},"modified":"2026-05-16T07:45:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T07:45:00","slug":"when-i-used-chatgpt-to-stop-overthinking-about-my-daily-decisions-i-experienced-an-almost-instant-reduction-in-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/?p=609","title":{"rendered":"When I used ChatGPT to stop overthinking about my daily decisions, I experienced an almost instant reduction in stress."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-554148b8-9387-4938-b7a9-1630696f2267\">I found myself stuck in a daily loop of having to make a decision and sitting in complete silence for far too long while trying to make it.<\/p>\n<p>From the little things like figuring out what to defrost for dinner to the big things like debating whether or not to tackle a certain topic in a future article, I find myself overthinking and freezing when thinking of multiple options for a scenario. We know that most of you empathize with this problem and are always looking for ways to ease the tension that comes with it.<\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-554148b8-9387-4938-b7a9-1630696f2267-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">I find it fascinating how the simple act of choosing between cereal or toast for breakfast can turn into a paralyzing choice. When you factor in things like how you feel after each meal and how long it takes to eat, what should be a trivial task ends up taking up a whole lot of time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;uW7D3ySO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;Q1UC4oov&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_Q1UC4oov_uW7D3ySO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;Q1UC4oov&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_Q1UC4oov_uW7D3ySO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;NLVTwYKe5kBs2O1ZEZFGvVo1Y44MJtPAymTh\\\/PhEGb7r7GUh&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:false,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">from the latest video<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/yjolrksv791774885936.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/yjolrksv791774885936.svg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/yjolrksv791774885936.svg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] max-h-12 w-auto\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><\/p>\n<p>            you may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>I thought ChatGPT would help me figure out the best way to avoid overthinking every little decision that comes my way every day. My trusty chatbot not only provided me with an overview of the concept of overthinking, but also gave me a different direction to go in order to avoid overthinking too often.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"finding-the-best-ways-to-overcome-overthinking-3\">Find the best way to overcome overthinking<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-a3c073aa-b3d7-4003-9060-b9998bb2643d\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/drouki.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/When-I-used-ChatGPT-to-stop-overthinking-about-my-daily.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman is sitting on the bed and putting her hands on her temples, looking stressed. She has a laptop on her lap.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-1200-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-970-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/y9FT3mY8n7pzb83k9dwJh3-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/drouki.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/When-I-used-ChatGPT-to-stop-overthinking-about-my-daily.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/drouki.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/When-I-used-ChatGPT-to-stop-overthinking-about-my-daily.jpg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] inline\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image source: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-d24bac65-e0a7-4bd3-b805-ece31fc1a990\">When we asked ChatGPT to suggest the best way to stop obsessing over every decision you have to make, he first explained what overthinking really means.<\/p>\n<p><em>Overthinking usually comes from trying to eliminate uncertainty before acting. The problem is that in everyday life, we rarely have perfect information, and our brains stay in &#8220;analysis mode.&#8221; A good approach is to reduce the cost of decisions rather than trying to make every decision perfect.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>After understanding that thoughtful explanation, I turned to ChatGPT&#8217;s list of 10 useful methods aimed at eliminating overthinking once and for all. Out of these 10, I incorporated 6 of them into my daily decision-making routine.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-RML8uCCHdzRheBzW5U4kcQ\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-RML8uCCHdzRheBzW5U4kcQ slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Get instant access to the latest news, trending reviews, deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul id=\"elk-6212a6f5-0b46-427d-aa75-227e9962509a\">\n<li><strong>Use the &#8220;good enough&#8221; rule<\/strong>: A lot of stress is caused by optimizing decisions that have little importance in the long run. Ask yourself questions like, \u201cIs this important to me in a week?\u201d \u201cWould I advise a friend to spend this much energy?\u201d or \u201cIs this a 70% decision or a 100% decision?\u201d For many choices, &#8220;pretty good&#8221; is more valuable than &#8220;perfect but lagging.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>set a time limit on decisions<\/strong>: Overthinking expands to fill endless time. Try allocating 2 minutes for small decisions, 10 minutes for medium decisions, and up to 24 hours for large, unimportant decisions. If you&#8217;ve exceeded your limits and are still unsure, choose the option that provides the most flexibility and learning benefits.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Separate \u201cthinking\u201d and \u201cacting\u201d<\/strong>: People who think too much often treat thinking as progress. The best framework you can adopt in this case is to define the problem, choose one action to take next, and then act before gathering more information. Actions generate feedback faster than rumination.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Deliberately practice small discomforts<\/strong>: Overthinking often leads to avoiding uncertainty and regret. Small exercises that can help retrain this include ordering new things right away at a restaurant, sending texts without rereading them 15 times, making purchases after reasonable research rather than exhaustive research, and leaving small imperfections aside. Confidence comes from repeatedly overcoming imperfect choices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Utilize the perspective of your \u201cfuture self\u201d<\/strong>: Ask yourself, &#8220;What would the calmest, most grounded version of me do here?&#8221; The answer is usually simpler and more direct than the spirals your brain creates.<\/li>\n<li><strong>accept that certainty is impossible<\/strong>: Three of the biggest mindset shifts are that most good decisions can be undone, most bad decisions can be survived, and confidence often comes after the action rather than before. Trying to guarantee perfect results is what keeps people stuck.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"final-thoughts-3\">final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-b4e1eac2-c607-4a30-b8c1-afbcc1f20f94\">I have to pass it to ChatGPT. The suggestions made by ChatGPT have actually done a great job of helping me abandon my bad habit of ruminating at length about every decision I have to make.<\/p>\n<p>Putting time limits on decisions based on their importance, asking your future self questions that put everything into perspective, and adopting the mindset shift mentioned above will put you in a better place mentally. Practicing these methods alleviated all the stress associated with constantly considering options for long periods of time and gave me the push I needed to make a final decision in a reasonable amount of time.<\/p>\n<p>When I don&#8217;t have to think too much about what&#8217;s the best text to send on a future date, which place to recommend for a future friend gathering, or which task on my work to-do list should be tackled first, it feels great to not have the weight of those decisions on my shoulders.<\/p>\n<hr id=\"elk-71b063fc-9a49-46f1-b860-421630dbd34a\"\/>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:548px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:43.07%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-548-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-548-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-548-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-548-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/drouki.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/When-I-used-ChatGPT-to-stop-overthinking-about-my-daily.png\" alt=\"Click to follow Tom's Guide on Google News\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-548-80.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-548-80.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-548-80.png 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-548-80.png 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-480-80.png 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WwrSHXAT2Ha8hDCF8TKMVc-320-80.png 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/drouki.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/When-I-used-ChatGPT-to-stop-overthinking-about-my-daily.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/drouki.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/When-I-used-ChatGPT-to-stop-overthinking-about-my-daily.png\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] inline\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-a0618602-ddb8-40d6-a029-2b251d099d26\"><em>to follow<\/em><em>    Tom&#8217;s Guide to Google News<\/em><em>    and<\/em><em>    Add us as a preferred source<\/em><em>    Get the latest news, analysis, and reviews in your feed. Subscribe to Tom&#8217;s Guide<\/em><em>    YouTube<\/em><em>    and follow us<\/em><em>    TikTok<\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr id=\"elk-28612627-7129-4e0a-9180-8ef2a3285eab\"\/>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-more-from-tom-s-guide\"><span>More about Tom&#8217;s guide<\/span><\/h3>\n<div data-model-name=\"Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max\" data-render-type=\"editorial\" data-widget-type=\"comparison\" class=\"hawk-root\">\n<div class=\"hawk-comparison-container\">\n<div class=\"hawk-comparison-filters-rows-container\">\n<div class=\"hawk-side-filters-cc-retails-contracts\" data-visible=\"0\">\n<div class=\"hawk-filters-wrapper-container\"><button class=\"hawk-filters-wrapper-go-back\" tabindex=\"0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/search-api.fie.futurecdn.net\/img\/misc\/chevron-left.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" title=\"arrow\" class=\"hawk-lazy-image-chevron-left\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Return to mobile phone<\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hawk-comparison-filters-rows-rows\">\n<div class=\"hawk-comparison-toggle-tab-bar-container\">\n<div class=\"hawk-comparison-toggle-tab-bar-tab-bar-container\">\n<div class=\"hawk-comparison-tab-bar-container\">\n<div class=\"hawk-comparison-tab-bar-inner-container\">\n<div class=\"hawk-comparison-tab-bar-sort-container\">\n<div class=\"hawk-comparison-sort-container\">\n<div class=\"hawk-filter-cc-simplified\"><select class=\"hawk-filter-select\" data-type=\"sort\" data-filter-key=\"sort\"><option value=\"recommended\">sort<\/option><option value=\"price\">Price (lowest first)<\/option><option value=\"price_desc\">Price (high to high)<\/option><option value=\"name\">Product name (A-Z)<\/option><option value=\"name_desc\">Product name (from Z to A)<\/option><option value=\"merchant\">Store name (A to Z)<\/option><option value=\"merchant_desc\">Retailer name (Z to A)<\/option><\/select><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/drouki.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779445159_249_When-I-used-ChatGPT-to-stop-overthinking-about-my-daily.png\" alt=\"arrow\" title=\"arrow\" class=\"hawk-lazy-image-filter-arrow\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"13\" height=\"13\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"hawk-comparison-load-more-button\">See more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>#ChatGPT #stop #overthinking #daily #decisions #experienced #instant #reduction #stress<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I found myself stuck in a daily loop of having to make a decision and sitting in complete silence for far too long while trying to make it. From the little things like figuring out what to defrost for dinner to the big things like debating whether or not to tackle a certain topic in &#8230; <a title=\"When I used ChatGPT to stop overthinking about my daily decisions, I experienced an almost instant reduction in stress.\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/drouki.com\/?p=609\" aria-label=\"Read more about When I used ChatGPT to stop overthinking about my daily decisions, I experienced an almost instant reduction in stress.\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[1241,1244,1245,1246,1247,1243,1248,1242,1168],"class_list":["post-609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-chatgpt","tag-daily","tag-decisions","tag-experienced","tag-instant","tag-overthinking","tag-reduction","tag-stop","tag-stress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drouki.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}