When it comes to important decisions, trusting your gut is usually the best way to go.
Now, experts have discovered that trusting instinct is actually a good idea, as it improves our mood even more.
Researchers from HMU Health and Medical University Potsdam in Germany recruited 256 participants for their study.
Everyone was given information about two different decision-making styles: analytical and intuitive.
Then, over the course of two weeks, they used an app to inform them when they were about to make an everyday decision, such as what to have for lunch, a purchase, what to watch on TV, or something to do with friends.
Researchers at HMU Health and Medical University in Potsdam, Germany, have discovered that relying on instinct is actually a good idea, as it further improves our mood.
An analysis, published in the journal Emotion, revealed that simply making a decision, of any kind, improved your mood, but following your instinct led to the biggest boost.
At this point they were told to make the decision analytically (weighing all the options) or to make the decision based on their instinct.
Participants were also asked to rate their mood immediately before and after making their decision, and to share how easy, pleasant, and “right” their choice seemed to them.
An analysis, published in the journal Emotion, revealed that simply making a decision, of any kind, improved your mood, but following your instinct led to the biggest boost.
While intuitive decisions did not seem more “correct” than analytical ones, they did seem easier, which could explain the increase in mood.
The team also found that participants were more satisfied with and liked their instinctive decisions.
“This is the first empirical demonstration showing that using the gut has beneficial effects in everyday life,” they wrote.
Previous studies have found that quick, easy mental processing feels good, which could also explain the findings.