March is Brain Health Awareness Month — a time to shine a light on one of our most vital organs. We often think of brain health in terms of memory, focus, or preventing cognitive decline. But there’s another essential — and often overlooked — part of brain health: decision-making.
Every day, we make thousands of decisions — from what to eat for breakfast to how to navigate health concerns, caregiving responsibilities, or life-changing choices. These decisions shape our well-being, our relationships, and even our long-term brain health. But in today’s world — where information flows constantly through social media, online reviews, and digital tools — making decisions feels harder than ever. The very technologies designed to help us can sometimes hijack our ability to think clearly and independently. Understanding how the brain makes decisions — and how social influences shape those decisions — is one of the most powerful ways to protect your brain health.

How Your Brain Makes Decisions

Every decision — big or small — involves a dance between different parts of the brain.

At the heart of this process is the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s decision-making headquarters. This region helps you weigh pros and cons, set goals, and align choices with your long-term priorities. But decision-making isn’t purely rational. Your brain constantly balances logic with emotions (processed by the amygdala) and social information (processed by the social brain network).
Decades of neuroscience research show that social influence plays a far bigger role in decision-making than we like to admit. Even when we believe we’re making independent choices, our brains are wired to look for cues from others — whether that’s a friend’s recommendation, a doctor’s advice, or the collective opinions of strangers on the internet.

This tendency isn’t a flaw — it’s a survival mechanism. In evolutionary terms, following the group often kept us safe. But in today’s hyper-connected world, this wiring can sometimes lead us astray.

The Hidden Power of Social Influence in Decision-Making

Imagine you’re choosing between two health apps to help manage your loved one’s medication schedule. Both apps seem equally functional, but one has hundreds of five-star reviews while the other has only a handful.

Which would you choose?

If you’re like most people, you’d lean toward the app with more reviews — even if the features are the same. That’s because your brain automatically uses social proof as a shortcut to gauge quality and safety. Social proof can be helpful — but it can also cloud your judgment. Research shows that people are more likely to follow popular opinions even when those opinions are wrong. And digital environments amplify this tendency by constantly showing us what others are choosing, liking, or sharing.
This effect is especially powerful in health-related decisions, where uncertainty and anxiety make us even more vulnerable to social influence.

A recent study that explored the effects of social interactions on individual choice, found that across a variety of medical areas (cancer treatment, vaccinations, etc) social relationships affected which treatment alternatives are evaluated.
For caregivers, this dynamic is even more complex. When you’re making decisions on behalf of someone else — a parent with dementia or a child with special needs — the emotional stakes are higher. You’re not just choosing for yourself; you’re trying to make the “right” choice for someone you love. That makes you more likely to seek out advice — but also more likely to be swayed by social consensus.

How Digital Environments Make Decision-Making Harder

Digital platforms — from health websites to social media — are designed to capture your attention and guide your choices. Algorithms prioritize the most popular information, pushing certain products, treatments, or opinions to the top of your feed. The more likes, shares, or five-star reviews something has, the more your brain interprets it as valuable — even if it’s not the best option for you.
At the same time, endless information overload can lead to decision fatigue — the mental exhaustion that sets in when you’re faced with too many choices.
Decision fatigue makes your brain more likely to rely on shortcuts like social proof or default options. That’s why you’re more likely to choose the top search result on Google or the product with the most reviews — not because it’s the best, but because your brain is trying to conserve energy.

This digital decision environment isn’t going away — but you can learn to navigate it with more awareness and control.

How to Make Better Decisions in a Digital World

The good news is that decision-making is a trainable skill — one that supports both your brain health and your confidence.

Here’s a simple four-step process to help you make decisions that align with your values, not just what everyone else is doing:

1. Pause and Spot the Signal

Before making any decision — especially in a digital environment — take a moment to pause. Ask yourself:

• Am I leaning toward this option because others recommend it?

• How would I feel about this choice if I didn’t know what others think?

Pausing helps you shift from automatic, socially driven decisions to more deliberate ones.

2. Anchor to Your Priorities

Before seeking advice or reading reviews, write down your top 3 decision-making priorities.

For example, if you’re choosing a caregiving app, your list might be:

• Easy to use

• Affordable

• Data privacy

By anchoring your decision to your own priorities before gathering information, you’re less likely to be swayed by what others think.

3. Diversify Your Input

One good way to protect your decision-making is to actively seek out diverse perspectives.

Instead of relying on one dominant source, gather information from:

• Experts

• Peer experiences

• Independent reviews or articles

This approach helps counteract echo chambers and gives your brain a broader range of information to weigh.

4. Check Your Confidence

After gathering information, pause again and ask:

• Am I confident because I’ve gathered diverse information?

• Or because others agree with this choice?
Research shows that true confidence comes from understanding, not consensus. If your confidence is rooted in your own priorities and diverse inputs, you’re on the right track.

Why Decision-Making Matters for Brain Health

Better decisions aren’t just about outcomes — they’re about building a healthier brain.
Every time you engage in thoughtful, deliberate decision-making, you’re strengthening the neural circuits in your prefrontal cortex. Over time, this process enhances:

• Cognitive flexibility

• Emotional regulation

• Resilience against social pressure

For caregivers, making better decisions also reduces decision fatigue and helps prevent burnout — a key factor in protecting long-term brain health.

Brain Health Awareness Month is the perfect time to rethink how we make decisions — especially in a world where digital and social influences are shaping more of our choices than ever before.
By understanding how your brain processes decisions — and taking small steps to build decision-making habits — you’re not just making better choices today –you’re protecting your brain health for the future.
The best decisions aren’t the ones everyone else is making. They’re the in ones that align with your values, your needs, and your priorities — no matter what the crowd says.

How do you make decisions? What decisions will you make to protect your brain and strengthen your decision making this month? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash