ARE YOUR ENDLESS LISTS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR CAUSING YOU STRESS AND ANXIETY?…

At this time of year we find ourselves with lists for so many things that are going on in December, but are they causing you more stress and anxiety?

Can ‘to do‘ list’s cause anxiety? Appointments, dinners, errands, we’re all juggling a million things at once and ‘yes’ some experts say that ‘to do‘ lists can cause anxiety.

Psych Central say that ‘If you make a to-do list, carefully look at each item. How much emotional energy will you need for each one? If you tend to have the most energy in the morning, then pencil in the high-energy tasks first thing. Also, decide that you will not feel guilty for anything on your list. For example, if you want to set aside 20 minutes to folding laundry tomorrow, then give twenty minutes of your whole heart to folding laundry. Know that you are doing something of value, and don’t waste one bit of energy wishing you were doing something else.’

I am a typical ‘to do‘ list person and I can appreciate that it can cause anxiety as I get really anxious if I don’t manage to get through what I have on my list. I also add to the list constantly which doesn’t help me to get through the list but I do get a buzz from crossing off what I have listed on it. Personally, I think the opposite as I always feel great when I have written everything down and more anxious when I have lots of things going through my mind.

Flex Jobs wrote that 50% of people are feeling “moderately stressed” and suffering negative effects on their mental health because of their never-ending to-do lists.

Some people like to write everything down. I actually love writing my to do list and have endless books I can write them in. There are endless pads and books you can buy to put your to do list onto which I have put on my Christmas present list !!! This simple Today Daily Planner Notepad for £4.40 is simple and easy to have around.

Another one I like is Organise Chaos Planner for £8. It has have everything you need to get organised in this Pastel Patter themed organiser, the perfect size to pop in your bag and carry with you.

Presented with Pastel Patter illustrations, there are four tabbed sections titled Planner, Notes, To Do List, Addresses, and a plastic zipper wallet for keeping papers, receipts etc.

The hardback folder and elasticated closure provides protection for the pages and the wire bounding makes it easy to flip between the sections.

Another option is to download an app Build A Wellness Blog writes about an app called the 24me. This app to keep you organized is essentially a calendar, to-do list, notes, and reminders – all in one place. It integrates with Google Calendar and shows any of your calendar events within the 24me app, so you can see everything in one spot. She suggests how you can use this app.

Here are some ideas:

You can set reminders to pay bills, and include a link to that company’s website so you’re able to quickly pay when the reminder pops up.
Link it to your social account like Facebook so you don’t lose track of friend’s birthdays. (Note – I was never able to get mine to link properly, but maybe you’ll have better luck).
Add tasks to sections for “the upcoming week” and “later”. Both of these are really helpful when you’ve got tasks that need to get done at some point, but aren’t urgent. It’s a way of getting items out of your brain and into some sort of queue so they actually happen at some point.
Set reminders to email people (contacts are available from your email accounts) for follow up with potential clients, brands, etc.

24Me can also send alerts to remind you of your daily to-do list. It helps get you organized in life from daily to-dos to personal finances, and everything in between.

You could also just go to Pinterest and tap in ‘to do‘ list and you will be shown a page full of free to download ‘to do‘ lists just ready to start filling in and I am quite sure you will not feel in the least bit anxious about writing it, in fact some say daily ‘to do‘ lists can help productivity. Do you write a ‘to do‘ list and if so what on?