4 Simple Ways to Counteract Daily To-Do List Overwhelm
What’s the dumb face you make when you find yourself standing in your house confused about what you got up to do?
Whatever mission you had when you stood up has vanished under the pile of to-dos running through your mind, and your gaze is wandering around the room.
When I find myself here, I’m always squinting.
My eyes scan over the contents of the room suspiciously as if my objects will tell me what to do next as I search my boggled brain.
What was I doing?
Is there something I should be doing instead?
Why haven’t I done it yet?
No answer to these questions is quickly followed by, “Ugh, I have so many things to do. I don’t even know where to start.”
Here are four things to counteract the daily to-do list overwhelm.
Tidy up your surroundings
Fluff out the pillows on the couch, organize the papers on your desk, do some dishes, and sort the laundry into darks and lights. This gives your body a chance to move but gives your analytic brain a break. You’re occupied just enough with the task at hand that you’re kept mentally engaged, but you’re not screeching all your racing thoughts to a halt.
Tidying up is a great way to downshift your focus and get you back into your body.
Dance to one song (with all your heart)
We all have that one song that, no matter the place, time, or moment, casts a spell over us, and we shimmy over to the dance floor. Keep this song on hand, or make a playlist of tunes you know has this effect on you. Whip it out for a quick five-minute dance break to move your body, get the blood flowing, and again, preoccupy your brain for a moment with something other than your massive to-do list or tough task at hand.
If taking 5 minutes to dance sounds ridiculous, too time-consuming, or dumb to you, I dare say that’s all the more reason to try it.
Drink an entire glass of water
This is especially great if you’ve been staring at a screen all day. You’ll have to pee within 20 minutes of this one, but flood your body and brain with hydration by drinking an entire glass of water. Take your time, breathe in between sips, and take a moment to notice how the water feels going into and through you.
Make dinner plans
Begin thinking about the bookend to your day by either planning what you’ll make for dinner, where you’ll pick up takeout or if you’ll meet someone for a meal later that night.
You’re creating your own light at the end of the tunnel with this one by remembering that this day has an end and you get to choose what it looks like.
When searching for a buoy in the ocean of a to-do list that is overwhelming, I’ve found that the simpler, the better.
What are your go-to strategies for diffusing the daily stress of a heavy workload?