Why Making Small Decisions Helps You Feel Better

If you’re living with Long COVID or a post-infection condition, you know how limited energy can make every decision feel harder. No one wants to waste precious energy on a decision that might turn out to be the “wrong” one. But here’s the good news: thoughtfully made decisions are always the right ones, because they lead to the next step and make the whole process of deciding easier over time. Yet, the act of deciding can be one of the most powerful ways to start feeling better. This idea is beautifully explored in The Upward Spiral by Dr. Alex Korb, a neuroscientist who explains how small changes can break cycles of physical exhaustion, brain fog, and hopelessness.

At ThriveNinety, we’ve seen firsthand how making even small decisions can create momentum and drive improvement. We want to be clear; the condition is not “in your head”! Rather, accepting where you are now, then choosing to control what you can control in your life, based on your current abilities, can help you chart an improvement path. Here’s why those little decisions matter and how they can help you speed up your recovery process, one step at a time.

Making Decisions Calms Your Brain

When you’ve faced countless questions about how to manage your post-infection symptoms, and tried a range of approaches without much impact, it’s natural to feel unsure about making, and trusting, further decisions. In this state, your brain and nervous system may be stuck in a cycle of hypervigilance—commonly known as 'fight, flight or freeze.' Taking even a small step to make a decision to control more of what you are able to control can begin to break this cycle. That act, and the chemical signals it can trigger in your brain, can help signal safety and start to restore a sense of agency over your life that too often feels lost with post-infection conditions. This simple act reduces the sense that you are overwhelmed, softens the grip of 'what-ifs' and 'shoulds,' and helps you find a moment of calm. Making one clear choice is like finding a solid foothold to let you take the next step, giving you a sense of steadiness and control.

Decisions Feed Momentum

A decision is movement. For people with post-infection conditions, mental or emotional movement is key to breaking free from feelings of stagnation. Each decision activates the brain’s reward circuits, including the prefrontal cortex, which governs motivation. This small spark of momentum can gently nudge you out of your nervous system's “freeze” mode and into a place where action feels more possible, and even natural.

Change Creates Possibilities

When you make a decision, you’re not just choosing an action and focus—you’re creating a pathway for change. For people with Long COVID, this can feel empowering, even if the change is small. We understand how hard it can be when earlier decisions result in  worsening symptoms - leading to caution about trying anything else and hoping for proven external help, such as pharmaceuticals. However, research has helped to point to key drivers of Long COVID and post-infection symptoms, opening up proven ways to manage those symptoms. Many people have regained control over how they feel and regained ability by using new techniques, building routines and making intentional changes.

Decisions don’t have to be permanent. If they don’t bring the results you were hoping for, you can make a new choice or adjust elements where you saw some positive results. Yes, you want to avoid further harm. How do you do this without feeling stuck? You can give seemingly small approaches a chance. For example, our three free tools—available via the link next to this blog article—daily for a month. They are designed to be very gentle, take a maximum of 5 minutes and can help you build a routine that improves your health. What matters is that you’ve stepped out of the space of "no change" and opened the door to possibilities. 

When you are ready to take the next step on your improvement path we can support you through the 12-unit Long COVID Symptom Management program. 

Indecision Is Still a Decision

Choosing not to decide is, in itself, a choice. It’s deciding to stay in the same place or keep the current trajectory. While it may feel safer at the moment, staying stuck often reinforces feelings of helplessness. Again, even a small decision, like deciding to drink a glass of water or step outside for fresh air first thing in the morning, can shift your mental and emotional state, which supports alignment of your nervous system. We encourage you to look for small steps that fit into your life and let you control what you can control. 

How to Make Your Next Decision

• Start Small: Even seemingly small decisions can lead to significant changes. Focus on something that feels good to you. What will you eat for your next meal to feel healthier? What’s one thing you can do in the next five minutes to help your body and brain?
• Embrace Imperfection: There’s no such thing as a perfect decision. Aim for progress, not perfection.
• Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge every decision you make, no matter how small. Each one is a step towards feeling better and controlling the controllable.

Moving Forward 

Possible decisions to consider:

• If you haven’t yet, try our 3 free tools and use them as a morning routine or whenever you feel like it.
• Book a free assessment call with us to explore if our program could be your next step.
• Learn about the role of the nervous system in managing post-infection symptoms.
• Learn about the positive impact anti-inflammatory foods can have on your symptoms
• Identify your personal stressors and energy-giving activities for better energy management.

At ThriveNinety, we believe recovery is a journey of small steps taken consistently. We offer guidance and advice to help you draw on evidence as you make those decisions, so you know where to put your precious energy. Each decision you make is a form of self-care and self-compassion. It’s a way of telling yourself: I deserve to move forward. I deserve to feel better.

So today, ask yourself: What’s one small decision I can make right now? Let it be the start or next step of your own upward spiral.

Warmly,
Katie & Andrea