Being overwhelmed is a feeling I am all too familiar with. I am a planner by nature and those to-do lists seem to experience exponential growth in my hands. This can be a helpful trait, as it allows me to have many plates spinning at once without letting too many fall to floor. If fact, I can’t imagine not planning. For example, for a trip next weekend, I have to shop on Sunday, pack on Tuesday, and cook on Wednesday in order to leave on Friday. If I didn’t have my ducks in a row, we would either leave late or be hungry and naked the entire trip.
The problem is that I let my to-do list overwhelm me. I panic. I call myself a reverse procrastinator. I will push to get a task completed, but I do it at the beginning of the window of opportunity rather than at the end. To make things even worse, I always think the tasks will take more time than they actually do. I know this, yet I still believe my brain’s calculations and self-imposed time limits.
I’m over being overwhelmed. It’s wasted energy. Needless strife. Yes, life is full. It’s supposed to be.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, this article on Psych Central has some great tips. As for me, I am going to pack up my three outfits and two meals needed for a crazy school day, take a deep breath, and just be thankful for the peaceful commute in the autumn rain. I’ll leave the to-do list at home.
To do list are suppose to give us a sense of peace. They are meant to organize our minds so that we are confident things are in order. You have to trust that your planning will always leave in a better place….worrying means we lack faith in ourselves to be successful.
So true. They do help me manage my thoughts and lower my anxiety. However, they can also be overwhelming themselves. I’ve started writing them on small squares of paper that I discard every day or two. It seems to keep them under control 🙂 Thanks!
Don’t get buried under paper plan, do, and throw out….don’t stress you have it under control!!!! You’re Welcome!!!!
Remember your mantra, “I can do this” 🙂
This is not directly about procrastination or being overwhelmed, but this used to give me comfort that my Dad would say when I forgot to do something or didn’t finish something: “Just sign of a busy life and mind.”
Have a nice trip! I leave next Friday for a week and my main problem is letting myself relax and not worry. Being a Mom and Nana, I seem to think I am perpetually needed and hardly ever really relax! So, have FUN, you deserve it!
Thanks!