Major decisions can be overwhelming, causing anxiety about the future.

The keys are listening to your gut, being clear about your priorities, and being proactive.

It's also important to have support and to learn the lessons that the problems are teaching you.

Jake admits he’s frustrated with his current job and has been offered a new, more challenging role; he needs to decide within two weeks. Allyse has felt for a couple of years that her marriage has reached its end, but she’s understandably worried about the impact on the kids and what her future will look like.

Big decisions—about jobs, relationships, medical issues, or caring for family members—carry big emotional weight as you sort through options and hope you’ve made the right choice. Here are seven tips to help you navigate this challenge:

Take the job or stay; leave the marriage or don’t? Your gut reaction is a good starting point and a counterpoint to all the pro-and-con junk likely swirling in your head.

That said, if you tend to be emotionally driven—doing what you do based on how you feel—or if you have ADHD, which makes you impulsive, it’s probably not a good idea to rely on your gut as your frontline decision-maker. Instead, slow down, step back, and bring your rational brain online and into the mix.

2. Be clear about what needs to be fixed

If Jake........

© Psychology Today