No-fuss anxiety tips #18
Take a hard edit of your to-do-list
Welcome to blog 18 of 20 from this no-fuss series on anxiety. We’ve already covered 17 simple tips and techniques for managing anxiety. Each strategy’s designed to offer you a no-nonsense way to find greater ease in your life, rather than feeling imprisoned by anxiety.
What these tips won’t do is explore the origins and purpose of anxiety for you – this type of deeper exploration is what therapy offers. That said, having strategies for managing anxiety is a great place to start. Each article is designed to be a quick read, and with practical implementable ideas. Let’s dive into our next tip, then: take a hard edit of your to-do-list.
How long is your to-do list?
Does your to-do list make it to two (or more!) pages? A to-do list with too many tasks suggests a need to delegate, or review what you have on your list in the first place. You can’t do everything! I work to a “maximum of 10 items per day” rule-of-thumb. Once there’s more than 10 items on my list, I know I need to look to prioritise and adapt the list. Anxiety can result from feeling overwhelmed and having too many things on your to-do list. Too many expectations and things to do compromises your ability to cope – as demand suffocates your resources.
Taking stock of your do-to list habits
Today, consider how many things are on your “to-do” list. If you aren’t in the habit of writing a list, take a few minutes to note how many things you do want to get done today before bedtime. You can now use the following questions to help you in editing this list.
How realistic is this list?
Have you factored in “rest” as a to-do item?
Is there anything on the list that’s unnecessary or a poor use of your time today?
Why are each of these things on your list?
Can you delegate any items?
Consider seitchng to a “done” list to help manage anxiety
Even with some serious editing and delgation, your to-do list can still feel like a source of anxiety. Demands, even those we place upon ourselves, can add pressure and stress. One option is to think outside the box, and instead of a to-do list, take a "lower demand" approach by switching to a "done" list:
Start with a blank list, and add things once you've completed a task or chore. By the end of the day, you'll have achieved 100% of the list!
I particularly like this tip for managing anxiety around demands, as it feels celebratory, rather than punitive. We all need a bit of celebration from time-to-time!
I hope this short blog has given you food for thought when it comes to a hard edit of your expectations upon yourself. If you’ve got an appetite for more, then do look out for other blogs within this anxiety-themed series.
Get in Touch
If you’re curious how counselling can help you with a deeper exploration of your anxiety, do make contact with me, Claire Law. We can talk through how online counselling or face-to-face counselling at my therapy room in Preston can help manage your anxiety.