From “To Do” to “I Did” – A Productivity Strategy to Help Reduce Anxiety

As a working mom, I feel like I have a million and one things to do each day, which can be extremely overwhelming. For years, I have tried to manage my workload and productivity levels by creating to-do lists for myself, but I have found that over the recent years, even just the action of making a to-do list causes me great anxiety because I feel like the list will never end.

My husband has been graciously working with me to help me manage my stress, and one strategy that we have been doing together is discussing what we have accomplished that day rather than just talking about what is left to do. We both know that we have many more tasks to complete, but taking a few minutes to re-cap the positive outcomes of the day has really helped both of us reduce our stress.

I encourage you to try out this method of looking at what you have accomplished in a day rather than just focusing on what you still have left to do. When you make an “I did” list in place of your normal to-do list, you can feel happy when the list gets longer, rather than just feeling overwhelmed.

Depending on how your day is going, sometimes your “I did” list will include big undertakings, while other days, getting out of bed and getting dressed may be some big accomplishments worth noting. There is no right or wrong way to write out one of these lists – just include what you have done that day that makes you feel accomplished.

I hope that you will try out this method of managing your anxiety, and I would love to hear how it worked for you! Let me know in the comments below what you think of this method and if you have any suggestions for others!

Have an awesome and productive day!

~ Candace 🙂