Get it on a list!
Disclaimer: I am not an expert and this is not life coaching or mental health advice (or…formal advice of any sort, for that matter). I just share what works for me.
We all feel overwhelmed sometimes. It’s a gross feeling. Too many balls in the air, so much on your mind that you don’t know where to start? I’ve been there, and it’s become more frequent in the year-plus since the pandemic began, and as excited as we all are at the prospect of the return to some sort of normalcy, the slow reopening of things can add additional tasks, work, and worries. For me, the easiest way to calm the mind and find a starting place is to do a “brain dump.” There are numerous ways to approach this, but I find that a simple series of lists is easy and effective.
I freaking love lists.
I have created a simple template that illustrates how I typically accomplish a quick de-clutter of the mind. I don’t do this every day, just when I start to feel like I’ve got too much on my plate and need to sketch it out. I use this as a supplement to my day planner and it isn’t part of my normal planning routine—very much an “as needed” tool.
It’s super simple.
Start with a full list of everything you’re thinking about. EVERYTHING. List what’s nagging at you, what’s worrying you, things that feel like they are piling up, and any tasks or errands that are hanging over you. For the purposes of the exercise, don’t worry about categorizing your thoughts. Work, personal life, finances, family, pets, etc are equal.
From here, move down the page and divide your list into one of three categories.
1. Things that must be dealt with TODAY. Anything with a hard deadline that is approaching or that will have a major impact on health, safety, or sanity. Examples: Appointments that you already have scheduled, bills due within the next few days, a work project with a hard deadline, information/projects/items that someone else needs to proceed with their own pursuits, etc.
2. Things that can wait until TOMORROW. Examples: Bills not due until next week, calling to schedule a non-essential appointment, a work project that you know you can complete quickly with no hard deadline, an email that will still be there tomorrow, etc.
3. Things you can ask for help to complete, that require additional information/resources, or that you can let go entirely.
Now, it’s just a matter of crossing things off. Complete the “Today” list first, then attack your “let go or ask for help” list. Cross off anything that isn’t a real concern after all, delegate anything suited to a colleague, send emails asking for additional information, etc. Highlight items that require you to await a response from someone else. Now (this is the tricky part for some), put those items out of your mind for now…there’s nothing you can do until you get what you need. Keep the list and circle back when you have what you need.
Save your “tomorrow” list until the following day. Either keep the page or transfer it to a clean sheet, whichever works best and/or looks nicer for you.
That's it! Although it might not be a cure-all (you still have to actually COMPLETE the items on your lists, of course), it can certainly help put things in perspective, prioritize the chaos, and calm the mind.
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