Task Overwhelm

Have you ever felt a pervasive sense of dread when thinking about your to do list?  Have you avoided tasks and responsibilities to the point where you had to scramble to complete them on time?  Do you often feel that you don't even know where to start on everything you have to do?  Do you leave tasks half finished?  These experiences are quite common for people dealing with mental health concerns.  I like to refer to challenges with managing responsibilities as “task overwhelm.”. 

Task overwhelm can significantly impact people's daily lives both professionally and personally.  Undone to-do lists can increase feelings of low self worth, difficulty focusing, fatigue, and anxiety, which are already common for people dealing with heightened mental health concerns.  However, there are several helpful strategies for people who time and again find that their to-do list has become overwhelming.

First, break responsibilities down into smaller tasks.  Instead of saying “I'm going to clean my spare bedroom” say “I'm going to clear out old clothes from the closet, then I'm going to reorganize the extra sheets, then I'm going to dust, etc).  Breaking down large tasks into smaller more manageable chunks can help lessen anxiety and make the larger tasks seem more achievable.  This strategy also helps with finding specific methods of starting large tasks.  As a note, there are several apps available that will break down large responsibilities for you if you struggle with knowing exactly what needs to be done to complete a larger task 

Second, make tasks fun if you can.  Create a game with your family to see who can finish folding their laundry first.  Make up a song about washing the dishes.  Reward yourself for finishing a difficult task.  Creating some dopamine out of a situation that is usually energy draining can be helpful with creating motivation for task completion.  

Third, use the Pomodoro method.  Set a timer for yourself for thirty minutes.  Work until the timer goes off and then take a ten minute break.  Set your timer for thirty minutes again and rinse and repeat until the task is done.  Thirty minutes typically feels like an achievable time frame for nearly everyone to be able to hone in and focus on a task, and the short breaks keep you refreshed and rejuvenated.  As a note, should the timer go off and you have the motivation to keep working, do so!  Sometimes just getting started is all you need to finish a hard task.

Lastly, schedule, schedule, schedule.  Tasks with no real defined time frame like changing your oil or renewing your passport can get swept under the rug very easily.  But these tasks don't go away.  Instead they just pile up and suddenly you reach a month where you're frantically trying to complete five separate tasks that each could have been done earlier in the year.  If your oil light is on, pick a day to take it to the shop and put it on the calendar.  Go ahead and make an appointment for a new passport as soon as you realize yours is expiring.  Schedule a time to gather your documents ahead of the appointment.  Committing more nebulous tasks to self imposed deadlines can help keep tasks from piling up.

Task overwhelm is a common issue that many people face that can lead to delays in responsibilities, issues with professional and personal relationships, and worsened mental health issues.  Breaking down tasks, making tasks fun, using the Pomodoro method, and scheduling tasks can all be helpful strategies for better managing your responsibilities and time.