Go with your gut: Making everyday decisions on instinct is a 'surefire way to improve mood', experts say By Xantha Leatham Published: 19:36 EDT, 24 October 2024 | Updated: 19:48 EDT, 24 October 2024 e-mail View comments When it comes to big decisions, trusting your gut is usually the best way to go. Now, experts have discovered that relying on your instinct really is a good idea, as it results in a bigger boost to our mood. Researchers from HMU Health and Medical University Potsdam, in Germany, recruited 256 participants for their study.
They were all given information about two different styles of decision-making - analytical and intuitive. Then, over the course of two weeks, they used an app to report when they were about to make an everyday decision such as what to eat for lunch, making a purchase, what to watch on TV or something to do with friends. Researchers from HMU Health and Medical University Potsdam, Germany found making everyday decisions on instinct is a 'surefire way to improve mood' (Stock image) Analysis, published in the journal Emotion, revealed that simply making a decision - of either type - improved their mood, but going with their gut led to the biggest boost (stock image) At this point they were told either to make the decision analytically - weighing up all the options - or to make the decision based on their gut instinct.
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