People who don't write usually don't understand how those who do can agonise over a word. Would it be better to use a name or a pronoun? Is 'indicate' a better choice than 'show'? It isn't only a matter of getting the grammar right, or even of making sense, but a need to convey a mood, capture character or to be beautiful or striking. Does a word have the right rhythm? Will it maintain the pace and flow?
    A single word might have to fulfil several functions, such as showing a character's attitude and carrying the action forward or describing the setting. Yes, it is possible. Here's an example: a character emerges from a tunnel and sees the landscape laid out before him. 'Strewth!" he says. That 'strewth' means the character is likely to be British or Australian, probably middle-aged (unless it's set in the past) and working class. It also shows that the landscape is impressive. Look at any successful novel or poem and you'll no doubt find better examples, but you get the idea.
    The trouble with soul-searching to find exactly the right word is that it can leave you blocked. Looking in a dictionary or thesaurus doesn't always help, and can tempt you to stray off into other paths. My method for avoiding the problem is to leave a space and go back to it once I've finished the first draft. I can either find the word I want, or rewrite the sentence or the entire paragraph if need be.
    It doesn't make sense to interrupt the flow. Think how annoying it would be, if after pondering for hours to find the perfect word, you end up having to edit that section out!