September 22, 2025 • 10 mins
Have you ever noticed how the longer you think about a decision, the harder it feels to make? Anxiety loves to trap you in endless “what ifs” — but the truth is, most decisions don’t need that much energy.
In this episode of Block Out the Noise, Jessica Davis (licensed therapist, mindset coach, and creator of the Courage Method) shares two simple but powerful tools to help you break free from decision paralysis. You’ll learn how to stop wasting hours on choices that should take seconds and how to save your mental energy for the ones that really matter.
✨ In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- The surprising tool Jessica learned from Harut that ends overthinking in the moment
- How Jeff Bezos’ “two types of decisions” rule can simplify your life instantly
- The one question to ask that tells you in 3 seconds how much energy a choice deserves
- Why action reduces anxiety faster than endless thinking ever will
- How to trust your gut again when fear tries to disguise itself as “being careful”
👉 And if you’re ready to stop letting fear make all your choices, join the 90-Day Courage Challenge. Together, we’ll build your courage list, take action every week, and prove to yourself that progress beats perfection. Sign up through the link in the show notes.
Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!
RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!
Grab your FREE 90-Day Courage Challenge Cheat Sheet and start building confidence today.
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🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health
This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical strategies to help manage anxiety and self-doubt. The content is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional mental health care, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a crisis or need immediate assistance, please contact emergency services or a trusted mental health professional immediately.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jessica Davis (00:07):
Have you ever noticed how, the longer you
think about a decision, theharder it feels to make?
If you've ever been stuck onthe same decision for weeks,
whether it's texting someoneback, applying for something or
finally trying that thing thatyou keep talking about this
episode could change how youmake choices.
I'm sharing two simple toolsthat have completely shifted my
(00:31):
approach to decisions.
One comes from Harut, whotalked about this concept that
made me realize I was wastinghours of brainpower on choices
that could take seconds.
The other is from Jay Shetty'swork on decision-making, but I'm
breaking it down in a way thatactually makes sense for your
busy, overwhelming life.
By the end of this episode,you'll know exactly which
(00:54):
decisions deserve your mentalenergy and which ones are
stealing your time.
Hi and welcome.
To Block Out the Noise a spacefor teens and young adults who
are ready to quiet the noise ofanxiety, self-doubt and
(01:15):
overthinking and start buildinga life filled with confidence,
courage and purpose.
I'm Jessica Davis, a licensedtherapist, mindset coach and the
creator of the Courage Method.
I specialize in helping teensand young adults with anxiety,
overthinking and low self-esteem.
Also, if your mind gets stuckin loops, overthinking every
(01:38):
choice, spiraling throughwhat-ifs, feeling paralyzed by
decisions.
The Anxiety Survival Toolkitgives you practical strategies
to break that cycle and starttaking action with confidence.
It's free and you can find itlinked in the show notes Before
we dive in.
Remember this podcast is hereto support and guide you, but it
is not a replacement fortalking to someone in real life.
(01:59):
If you're struggling with yourmental health, please reach out
to a therapist, and if you're incrisis, contact emergency
services or a local helpline.
You don't have to go through italone.
All right, let's cut throughthe noise and get started.
Harut talked about this conceptthat completely blew my mind.
He said when he thinks ofsomething he wants to do, he
(02:19):
just does it.
No three-week mental marathon.
No overanalyzing every possibleoutcome.
When the thought came to him,even if it was uncomfortable, he
just acted.
At first I honestly thought thismay lead to me not getting
things done that I feel like Ireally need to get done.
(02:41):
But then I started realizinghow much time I was spending on
trying to decide even smallthings.
Like I'd spend 30 minutesdeciding on what to eat for
lunch, 30 minutes I'd go backand forth.
What am I in the mood for?
How much time do I have to eat?
Do I want to drive somewherenearby?
(03:02):
Is there anything close by that?
I'm interested in eating.
Should I do something healthy?
Should I do something not sohealthy?
You get the point.
Meanwhile, someone else is justeating and moving on with their
day.
So I started experimenting withthis.
If I thought about something inthe moment, I would just do it.
(03:23):
This has become super helpfulin my business.
Instead of spending hourstrying to decide what direction
to go in, now I just focus onwhere my mind and heart are
leading me.
No analysis, paralysis, nositting on good ideas for months
.
Now just action.
The results were insane.
(03:44):
For just one week, I wasgetting more done and I was
connecting to where my energyshould really be going.
All along, the interesting partwas that my mind and heart
weren't leading me astray, whichI think most people would
assume.
Imagine acting on what you'rethinking and realizing that
actually, the real enemy istaking too long to make a
(04:08):
decision.
But here's the thing as much asthis tool works, it doesn't
work for everything, so that'swhy I wanted to include a second
tool.
Not all decisions deserve thesame energy.
This is something Jeff Bezostaught Amazon, and they use it
consistently, and you can dothat too in your life.
There are two types of decisionstype one and type two.
(04:30):
Type one decisions are hard toreverse and have big
consequences.
Think choosing your college,deciding who to marry or
purchasing a home.
Type two decisions are easy toreverse and have low
consequences.
Think trying a new class,joining a club, texting someone
first or applying for prettymuch anything.
(04:52):
It could be a job, ascholarship or college.
Here's what most of us do wrong.
We treat type two decisionslike they're type one.
We'll spend weeks debatingwhether to sign up for an art
elective, like we're signing amortgage, or we'll agonize over
how we should clean our room,like there's not multiple ways,
(05:14):
and still not even clean ourroom, when really we should just
be starting somewhere thendoing nothing.
Most of our daily decisions aretype two decisions and we're
wasting brainpower, treatingthem like they're these major
life decisions, as if it's lifeor death on what we decide.
(05:35):
Here's the one question thattells you in three seconds how
much energy a choice deserves.
For type two decisions, useimmediate action, send the text,
sign up, take care of it in themoment.
For type one decisions slowdown, think it through, talk to
people you trust, give yourselftime.
(05:57):
We've all been guilty of doinga backwards approach to this
Spending hours scrolling throughNetflix trying to decide which
show to watch which is clearly atype two decision and then
feeling too drained to work oncollege applications, which is
still a type two the real typeone decisions.
(06:17):
Actually choosing which collegeto attend, that deserves
serious thought.
But applying to multipleschools, that's just creating
more options.
The same thing, if you'retrying to think about job or you
know, should I stay at the sameplace or open myself up to
something new, just apply.
Your brain hates uncertainty,which is why indecision feels
(06:42):
like anxiety, but action reducesthat anxiety immediately.
When you act fast on type twodecisions, you're not being
reckless, you're being smart.
You will feel more productive,you will have more energy, you
will build more confidencebecause you will see the impact
of making choices and showing upfor yourself.
(07:04):
I see this all the time andmaybe you'll recognize the
pattern too.
You get an idea for somethingyou want to try, but instead of
just trying it, you get stucktrying to make it perfect first.
What if I mess up?
What if people don't like it?
What if I'm not ready yet?
Does that sound familiar?
You're not researching orplanning.
(07:24):
You're just stuck stuck in fearand what ifs.
But here's the thing Most ofthese decisions aren't actually
risky.
The real risk isn't making thewrong choice.
The real risk is staying stuckwhile opportunities pass you by.
When you finally realize thatthis is a type two decision, low
(07:46):
risk, totally reversible,commit to trying, even if you
feel scared.
People can tell when you'reactually moving instead of just
thinking about moving.
The truth is, trying to findthe perfect moment has probably
stalled your growth in ways youdon't even realize yet.
So here's your courageousmoment that you can start using
(08:07):
today.
Before any decision, askyourself if this goes wrong, can
I easily fix it or reverse it?
If yes it's type two, act fast.
If no it's type one, take yourtime, think about it.
Stop spending 20 minutesdeciding what to wear and use
that energy to think about youractual goals.
(08:28):
Stop debating whether to textsomeone back and save that
brainpower for planning yournext semester.
Most importantly, stop waitingto feel ready.
Whether it's a type one or typetwo decision, chances are
you'll never feel that readiness, but it does require action.
Here's what I wish someone hadtold me when I was stuck in
(08:49):
decision paralysis and I havebeen stuck there way more times
than I'd like to admit.
You already know what you needto do.
You're just scared to do it.
Sometimes, when you're anxious,you feel like your gut reaction
is wrong, but really I think wejust need to learn.
You feel like your gut reactionis wrong, but really I think we
just need to learn how to trustthat gut reaction, because I
(09:11):
think that gut reaction is theone that's actually trying to
move us in the right direction.
We are just afraid to listen toit.
If this is clicking, if you'retired of being stuck in your
head while opportunities passyou by, join the 90 Day Courage
Challenge.
It is exactly where you putthis type of lessons into action
(09:31):
.
It's not about making recklesschoices.
It's about building the skillto recognize which decisions
deserve your energy, which onesare just fear disguised as being
careful.
We start together.
We build your courage list, andI'm there every day when your
brain tries to convince you thatthinking about it more will
(09:54):
help you in some way.
The challenge starts soon and ifyou're listening to this, you
already know this is a type twodecision.
You can try it, see how itfeels, adjust from there.
The only risk is stayingexactly where you are.
So check the link in the shownotes.
Don't let another week passwondering what if Don't leave
(10:18):
yourself with.
Where would I be if I had justjoined?
Your future self is counting onyou.
I'm always rooting for you tochoose action over analysis,
progress over perfection.
Now stop listening and startmoving.
Your life is waiting for you.
Thank you so much.
Until next time, keep movingforward, trust yourself and
(10:42):
never forget you have what ittakes to block out the noise.
Have you ever noticed how, the longer you
think about a decision, theharder it feels to make?
If you've ever been stuck onthe same decision for weeks,
whether it's texting someoneback, applying for something or
finally trying that thing thatyou keep talking about this
episode could change how youmake choices.
I'm sharing two simple toolsthat have completely shifted my
(00:31):
approach to decisions.
One comes from Harut, whotalked about this concept that
made me realize I was wastinghours of brainpower on choices
that could take seconds.
The other is from Jay Shetty'swork on decision-making, but I'm
breaking it down in a way thatactually makes sense for your
busy, overwhelming life.
By the end of this episode,you'll know exactly which
(00:54):
decisions deserve your mentalenergy and which ones are
stealing your time.
Hi and welcome.
To Block Out the Noise a spacefor teens and young adults who
are ready to quiet the noise ofanxiety, self-doubt and
(01:15):
overthinking and start buildinga life filled with confidence,
courage and purpose.
I'm Jessica Davis, a licensedtherapist, mindset coach and the
creator of the Courage Method.
I specialize in helping teensand young adults with anxiety,
overthinking and low self-esteem.
Also, if your mind gets stuckin loops, overthinking every
(01:38):
choice, spiraling throughwhat-ifs, feeling paralyzed by
decisions.
The Anxiety Survival Toolkitgives you practical strategies
to break that cycle and starttaking action with confidence.
It's free and you can find itlinked in the show notes Before
we dive in.
Remember this podcast is hereto support and guide you, but it
is not a replacement fortalking to someone in real life.
(01:59):
If you're struggling with yourmental health, please reach out
to a therapist, and if you're incrisis, contact emergency
services or a local helpline.
You don't have to go through italone.
All right, let's cut throughthe noise and get started.
Harut talked about this conceptthat completely blew my mind.
He said when he thinks ofsomething he wants to do, he
(02:19):
just does it.
No three-week mental marathon.
No overanalyzing every possibleoutcome.
When the thought came to him,even if it was uncomfortable, he
just acted.
At first I honestly thought thismay lead to me not getting
things done that I feel like Ireally need to get done.
(02:41):
But then I started realizinghow much time I was spending on
trying to decide even smallthings.
Like I'd spend 30 minutesdeciding on what to eat for
lunch, 30 minutes I'd go backand forth.
What am I in the mood for?
How much time do I have to eat?
Do I want to drive somewherenearby?
(03:02):
Is there anything close by that?
I'm interested in eating.
Should I do something healthy?
Should I do something not sohealthy?
You get the point.
Meanwhile, someone else is justeating and moving on with their
day.
So I started experimenting withthis.
If I thought about something inthe moment, I would just do it.
(03:23):
This has become super helpfulin my business.
Instead of spending hourstrying to decide what direction
to go in, now I just focus onwhere my mind and heart are
leading me.
No analysis, paralysis, nositting on good ideas for months
.
Now just action.
The results were insane.
(03:44):
For just one week, I wasgetting more done and I was
connecting to where my energyshould really be going.
All along, the interesting partwas that my mind and heart
weren't leading me astray, whichI think most people would
assume.
Imagine acting on what you'rethinking and realizing that
actually, the real enemy istaking too long to make a
(04:08):
decision.
But here's the thing as much asthis tool works, it doesn't
work for everything, so that'swhy I wanted to include a second
tool.
Not all decisions deserve thesame energy.
This is something Jeff Bezostaught Amazon, and they use it
consistently, and you can dothat too in your life.
There are two types of decisionstype one and type two.
(04:30):
Type one decisions are hard toreverse and have big
consequences.
Think choosing your college,deciding who to marry or
purchasing a home.
Type two decisions are easy toreverse and have low
consequences.
Think trying a new class,joining a club, texting someone
first or applying for prettymuch anything.
(04:52):
It could be a job, ascholarship or college.
Here's what most of us do wrong.
We treat type two decisionslike they're type one.
We'll spend weeks debatingwhether to sign up for an art
elective, like we're signing amortgage, or we'll agonize over
how we should clean our room,like there's not multiple ways,
(05:14):
and still not even clean ourroom, when really we should just
be starting somewhere thendoing nothing.
Most of our daily decisions aretype two decisions and we're
wasting brainpower, treatingthem like they're these major
life decisions, as if it's lifeor death on what we decide.
(05:35):
Here's the one question thattells you in three seconds how
much energy a choice deserves.
For type two decisions, useimmediate action, send the text,
sign up, take care of it in themoment.
For type one decisions slowdown, think it through, talk to
people you trust, give yourselftime.
(05:57):
We've all been guilty of doinga backwards approach to this
Spending hours scrolling throughNetflix trying to decide which
show to watch which is clearly atype two decision and then
feeling too drained to work oncollege applications, which is
still a type two the real typeone decisions.
(06:17):
Actually choosing which collegeto attend, that deserves
serious thought.
But applying to multipleschools, that's just creating
more options.
The same thing, if you'retrying to think about job or you
know, should I stay at the sameplace or open myself up to
something new, just apply.
Your brain hates uncertainty,which is why indecision feels
(06:42):
like anxiety, but action reducesthat anxiety immediately.
When you act fast on type twodecisions, you're not being
reckless, you're being smart.
You will feel more productive,you will have more energy, you
will build more confidencebecause you will see the impact
of making choices and showing upfor yourself.
(07:04):
I see this all the time andmaybe you'll recognize the
pattern too.
You get an idea for somethingyou want to try, but instead of
just trying it, you get stucktrying to make it perfect first.
What if I mess up?
What if people don't like it?
What if I'm not ready yet?
Does that sound familiar?
You're not researching orplanning.
(07:24):
You're just stuck stuck in fearand what ifs.
But here's the thing Most ofthese decisions aren't actually
risky.
The real risk isn't making thewrong choice.
The real risk is staying stuckwhile opportunities pass you by.
When you finally realize thatthis is a type two decision, low
(07:46):
risk, totally reversible,commit to trying, even if you
feel scared.
People can tell when you'reactually moving instead of just
thinking about moving.
The truth is, trying to findthe perfect moment has probably
stalled your growth in ways youdon't even realize yet.
So here's your courageousmoment that you can start using
(08:07):
today.
Before any decision, askyourself if this goes wrong, can
I easily fix it or reverse it?
If yes it's type two, act fast.
If no it's type one, take yourtime, think about it.
Stop spending 20 minutesdeciding what to wear and use
that energy to think about youractual goals.
(08:28):
Stop debating whether to textsomeone back and save that
brainpower for planning yournext semester.
Most importantly, stop waitingto feel ready.
Whether it's a type one or typetwo decision, chances are
you'll never feel that readiness, but it does require action.
Here's what I wish someone hadtold me when I was stuck in
(08:49):
decision paralysis and I havebeen stuck there way more times
than I'd like to admit.
You already know what you needto do.
You're just scared to do it.
Sometimes, when you're anxious,you feel like your gut reaction
is wrong, but really I think wejust need to learn.
You feel like your gut reactionis wrong, but really I think we
just need to learn how to trustthat gut reaction, because I
(09:11):
think that gut reaction is theone that's actually trying to
move us in the right direction.
We are just afraid to listen toit.
If this is clicking, if you'retired of being stuck in your
head while opportunities passyou by, join the 90 Day Courage
Challenge.
It is exactly where you putthis type of lessons into action
(09:31):
.
It's not about making recklesschoices.
It's about building the skillto recognize which decisions
deserve your energy, which onesare just fear disguised as being
careful.
We start together.
We build your courage list, andI'm there every day when your
brain tries to convince you thatthinking about it more will
(09:54):
help you in some way.
The challenge starts soon and ifyou're listening to this, you
already know this is a type twodecision.
You can try it, see how itfeels, adjust from there.
The only risk is stayingexactly where you are.
So check the link in the shownotes.
Don't let another week passwondering what if Don't leave
(10:18):
yourself with.
Where would I be if I had justjoined?
Your future self is counting onyou.
I'm always rooting for you tochoose action over analysis,
progress over perfection.
Now stop listening and startmoving.
Your life is waiting for you.
Thank you so much.
Until next time, keep movingforward, trust yourself and
(10:42):
never forget you have what ittakes to block out the noise.
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