When you have too much on your plate.

Some of the things we do, we do because we have to. Other things we do because we want to. What happens when we have too much on our plate but can’t distinguish between what we want to do and what we have to do? 

This might seem like a silly question, but here’s the thing…so many people who feel overwhelmed and stressed in their daily life feel that way because of how much they have to do. The feeling of “I just have so much I need to do”, or “I just have so much on my plate” is such a typical cause of anxiety for people. 

When we break this down and try to understand why we feel stressed, it usually feels like one cluster of stress that we can’t separate, because the accumulation of it just seems like so much. But the amazing thing about talking through (or writing through) stress and anxiety, is that so much of it can be alleviated by simply breaking it down in parts. Being able to turn it into a list can truly take the overwhelm out of the equation, and what you’re left with is just a list of manageable tasks. 

Sure, you can’t do them all at once, and you will have to prioritize, but the fact that you can look at your list and see order and separation between items can do so much for your sanity. It can help you not see it all as one cluster, rather as individual tasks that can be tackled one at a time. 

So now let’s go back to the difference between things we have to do and things we want to do. 

These things can all also be broken down into manageable tasks, but you probably need two separate lists to help you manage it even more.  Lists can go on and on, but finding structure in creating the lists can help you reduce the overwhelm and take more control of what you have to do. 

Once you have all the things written down and broken into your lists, you will have to determine how to go about tackling the things on your list. Sometimes we want to prioritize the things we want to do over the things we have to do and vice versa. There is no right or wrong way to do it. But, we do have to consider how much time we have, and what, if left undone, will cause more stress. I usually think it’s best to get the awful dreaded things out of the way, so that they are not hanging over my head anymore. Then you can feel proud of yourself and super accomplished, and you can focus on the things you want to do. 

Putting things off will just delay and prolong the anxiety. It will never make the anxiety go away…never. So think about that the next time to avoid doing something that has to be done.