When is the best and worst time to make a decision?

Quoted from The Atlantic, according to research by Jennifer Lerner, a professor of public policy and management at Harvard, making big decisions based on instinct is probably the most wrong way. Instinct, or "conscience," more or less reflects your feelings, which may be driving you down the wrong path.

Don't make decisions when you're angry

When fear creates uncertainty, anger instills confidence. People who are angry are more likely to blame other individuals, not "society" or fate. Anger makes people more likely to take risks regardless of the dangers of those risks. Angry people also rely more on stereotypes and are more motivated to act quickly. Anger is a moving emotion.

These impulses are part of adaptive evolution, says Lerner. "Humans developed in the hunting era hundreds of thousands of years ago," said Lerner. "If someone were to steal your meat from your game, you wouldn't think 'should I go after that thief?' Not. You will immediately go after him, without asking too many questions."

You can see the effect this anger has had on the recent Brexit events. The people of Great Britain are angry (over austerity policies of the European Union to raise taxes as the British government cut state spending in an attempt to pay off debts from the great recession of 2008-09) and blame immigrants for "taking the rights and territories of native British jobs". According to Lerner, anger can be a supporting emotion at important times, because anger is the main emotion of justice. But on the other hand, anger is confusing. Anger makes our mindset too simple. People are turning to the fast, fast way: "Get rid of the immigrants!", "Get out of the EU!" rather than reconsidering policies for refugees and their implications.

Anger keeps you motivated to move, but after that, you still have to use your logic.

Don't make decisions when you're sad

In some circumstances, sadness can help you make choices, because it encourages more systematic thinking. People who are humbling their hearts will think a lot, "on the one hand, there is X, but on the other side there is Y," which is actually good. However, sadness also makes you dwell on too long - "but X also means a, b, c, d, e" - which in turn slows you down to come to a decision with a sense of satisfaction and relief.

Reporting from Inc, research shows that you are more likely to set your "goals" really low when you are sad or depressed. In one study, participants were asked to sell various objects. Participants who felt sad set their prices lower than other participants. The researchers suspect grief led them to set a low price standard, in the hope that achieving the final goal will improve their mood.

Setting low standards for yourself can prevent you from reaching your greatest potential. You may decide not to apply for a promotion at the office, or not negotiate with a big client because you're feeling down.

What's more, sadness may make you even more impatient, just accept it. A 2013 study by Lerner and colleagues found that people who are sad receive up to 34 percent less money to pay right now, than having to wait three months from now for a larger payment. But at least it might make you more generous towards others. Lerner also found that than angry people, sad people allocate more charity to those who are more in need, because angry people tend to blame the poor for their own misfortune.

Don't make decisions when you're happy

So far, you may think that the happy times are the perfect time to make decisions. Wait a minute. Surprisingly, feelings of happiness are not as good as boiling emotions and sadness in influencing the way you make your choices.

Studies have shown that people who are in a positive mood, are "up in the clouds," and are feeling euphoric, prioritize beauty over quality. For this reason, there is a particular reason why casinos and gambling centers use bright lights and loud noises - they want you to keep your spirits up. The more excited you are, the more likely you are to spend large sums of money.

Plus, when you get too excited about something, it's easier to put your risks aside. Whether you intend to take out a fantastic loan for some lucrative opportunity, or you are betting all your remaining money on the soccer team leading the game, you are more likely to turn a blind eye to risk when you get excited.

Don't make decisions at night

Throughout the day, human mental energy is constantly squeezed out - by household duties, office work, home-office commuting trips, etc. This way, over time, whether you like it or not, you will become more physically and mentally exhausted at the end of the day. As a result, it will be more likely to work reluctantly. Cognitive fatigue is a drain on your mental resources. Seems obvious, doesn't it? But sadly, most people ignore cognitive fatigue, despite the fact that it continually affects their choices and behavior to a great extent

Research has shown that persistent cognitive fatigue results in fatigue at the office, decreased motivation, increased distraction, and poor information processing. Cognitive fatigue even reduces the quality of a person's judgment and decisions. Reporting from Psychology Today, psychologist Daniel Kahneman in his book Thinking Fast and Slow , says, "People who are cognitively busy, are more likely to make selfish decisions, use sexist language, and make superficial judgments in social situations."

Kahneman goes on to explain the advantages of how cognitive and physical depletion undermine our self-control. We make stupid choices. We hurt ourselves and others. We are acting out of the ordinary. Then, after you make a bad decision, you immediately rationalize our behavior, giving ourselves and others good reasons why we act so badly.

Make a decision after getting enough rest

One thing, we all submit to circadian rhythms every day. If you want to be truly productive, you need to take advantage of the time when you are most alert to doing your most important thinking, which is after getting a good night's sleep.

To prove this, scientists at the University of Bristol implanted electrodes in the brains of male mice. After recovering from the operation, the mice ran a "sleep, rest and free walk" cycle while the scientists tracked what information they stored or discarded while they slept.

Then, these mice were rendered unconscious and their brains were examined. The result: during sleep, their brains very quickly sort out daytime experiences and retain meaningful memories, essentially "clearing up the junk" of the mind and allowing them to become more focused on doing a more important task: making decisions.

Make decisions when your bladder is full

The next time you need to make an important decision, it might be a good idea to down two or three glasses of water before you really make your choice. At least, so says a study by a group of researchers from the Netherlands.

"You seem to be able to make better decisions when your bladder is full," said lead researcher Mirjam Turk of the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

In the experiment, researchers asked participants to drink five cups of water or swallow a sip of water from five separate glasses. After 40 minutes (the time it took for fluid to reach the bladder) the researcher then tested the self-control aspects of each subject. Participants are asked to make eight kinds of choices: each one is to receive instant gratification, or a bigger but slightly delayed reward. For example, in one scenario they could choose to take $ 16 the next day, or $ 30 in the next 35 days.

As a result, people who have a full bladder are more likely to choose to wait a little longer to get a larger amount. Other experiments are reported to have supported this theory.

These findings reinforce the notion that the innermost mind has a detrimental effect on one's ability to exercise self-control. In the world of psychology, this is called “ego depletion” - the brain struggles to hold back one function of the body, in this case holding back urination, so that it is easier to exert self-control in other areas.

Tuk's hypothesis is that - because feelings of restraint come from the same region of the brain - self-control in one area can affect self-control in another. "People who have higher levels of bladder control should be better able to control other unrelated urges," he says.

To make a balanced decision, acknowledge your emotions as no one mood seems sure to put you in the perfect frame of mind for making decisions. However, pay attention to how your moods and feelings can distort your thoughts and influence your thinking.