The Fridge Moment: When Even Simple Choices Overwhelm You
I had one of those weeks where I found myself staring into the fridge… then the pantry… then back into the fridge again, like something new might magically appear. My husband finally said, “I’ll just order pizza,” and I just… deflated.
It wasn’t about the pizza.
It was that feeling of not being able to land on a decision; even for something as simple as dinner. Like my brain had quietly gone offline.
Why Saying “Sure, Whatever You Want” Leaves You Drained
For a long time, I thought this meant I was just bad at making decisions. Or too tired to care. I’ve said “sure, whatever you want” so many times, about dinner, vacations, even work projects, that it’s basically a reflex now. The words come out automatically. Maybe my jaw tightens a little. And then later? I’m either frustrated… or just completely drained.
Understanding Wood Energy: Taoist Acupuncture for Clarity
At some point, I started looking at this differently.
In my Classical Taoist Acupuncture work, there’s this idea of “Wood” energy. You don’t have to know anything about acupuncture to get it. Just think of a plant pushing up through the soil, reaching for sunlight. It knows where it’s going. There’s movement, direction, a kind of quiet assertion.
And when that part of you is supported, making decisions feels… natural. Not perfect, not always easy, but clear enough.
How Over-Accommodating Blocks Your Natural Energy Flow
But when you’re constantly overriding yourself; deferring, accommodating, keeping the peace, that energy starts to feel stuck. Like trying to grow something strong in a space that’s too small. Eventually, it doesn’t stop existing… it just stops moving.
And that’s where this kind of indecision shows up.
Two Types of Indecision Women Experience
Liver-type Indecision is when you know what you want but can’t say it. Sometimes, you actually do know what you want. You can almost feel it. But you don’t say it. You freeze, or default to “I don’t care,” and then replay it later, wishing you had spoken up.
Other times, it’s not even that. It’s just… blank. Someone asks what you want, and there’s nothing there. No preference, no pull. Just a quiet overwhelm at having to choose at all. That is gallbladder-type I\indecision, where you feel blank and overwhelmed
Both are different, but they come from the same place: being out of practice hearing yourself.
Simple Practices to Reclaim Your Decision-Making Power
What’s helped me isn’t forcing better decisions. It’s creating small moments where that voice can come back online.
Sometimes that looks like moving my body. Stretching, twisting, even just taking a minute to breathe and reset.
Sometimes it’s as simple as noticing: I actually did have a preference there.
Or saying it out loud later, even if the moment has passed:
“No… I wanted something different.”
And honestly, one of the most helpful things? Flipping a coin. Not to follow it, but to catch that split-second reaction. That tiny flicker of relief or disappointment. That’s information. That’s you, still in there.
It’s not about getting it right all the time. It’s about letting yourself have a direction again. Even in small, ordinary moments like what’s for dinner.
Because it was never really about the pizza.
It’s not about being perfect or always knowing exactly what you want. It’s about creating a little breathing room for that natural energy to move again, instead of letting it get jammed up. Your Wood energy doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to move.
If you’re feeling stuck in that loop, you know where to find me. We can figure out a few simple ways to get things flowing again.