Helpful Heuristics

Your phone buzzes, so you reach for your hip unconsciously. Your cortisol level spikes briefly, then recedes as you swipe and see the cute dog pic your friend tagged you in.

As soon as you put your phone away, you feel that buzz again. Spike!

This time, it’s work sending you a text to let you know that the servers are down; it’s gonna be a rough morning.

Stimulus. Response. Stimulus. Response.

Is this as good as it gets?

While we are perpetually bombarded with distractions and decisions, there's a more mindful way to navigate. This is where heuristics come in—mental shortcuts that can help you cut through the noise, making efficient and effective decisions.

Understanding Heuristics

Heuristics are mental shortcuts or “rules of thumb” that allow us to make decisions more quickly and with less mental effort. If you’re stuck in a maze, a heuristic might be to always turn right at intersections. Maybe this approach doesn’t work, but it quickly gets you moving and allows you to rule a path ou…