We all have busy lives. We have chores, errands, appointments, jobs, duties, responsibilities, obligations, etc. Whenever we find ourselves “swamped” with a huge load of tasks to do, our minds can get warped with stress.
A lot of times we “justify” this state of stress and tension when we’re busy. We might feel like we “have” to be in a rush to get everything done as quickly as possible. It’s like we think we can’t relax until after it’s all over and done with.
This stress then usually gets amplified by trying to “randomly” get through the work load in a disorderly, disorganized fashion. In this manner your mind is going to be overly preoccupied trying to think about everything at once. You’ll find yourself constantly “worrying” about all the various tasks to be done.
I believe the root of this type of stress is just a subconscious “lack of confidence” in your ability to get through the work load. Therefore, to eliminate this stress we have to essentially become confident in our ability to take on a heavy load of work. We have to “believe” that we can handle it. You also have to accept that this stress is “futile“. If you have a large load of work to do and a certain amount of time to do it, then you’re best off just staying calm and working through it. The stress isn’t helping and it isn’t serving any purpose.
Strategy
Whenever you find yourself faced with a large load of tasks, you have to come up with a set plan that lays out everything that needs to be done. Make a detailed list of everything and write it all down. Prioritize your tasks in whatever order you want. The idea is to have everything written down so you don’t have to remember any particular task or the order in which to complete it.
Try to examine each task individually, and evaluate how “difficult” or time-consuming or genuinely “stressful” each one is on its own. This should help you see whether your stress level is appropriate or just unnecessary and ridiculous. Therefore, if one simple, easy task doesn’t stress you out, then a long serious of simple, easy tasks shouldn’t stress you out either. This should prevent you from falling under the illusion of being “overwhelmed” by a large work load or an endless To-Do list.
As you begin working through the list, focus your attention on one task at a time. But not just physically do one thing at a time, but also mentally do one thing at a time. Try to avoid getting distracted, worrying about the whole work load at once. Train yourself to focus your attention on one task. You could even “cover up” your list so you can only see the one task that you’re currently working on.
By doing this you are working with your consciousness. It’s your subconscious that’s trying to get you to worry about everything all at once. Your subconscious is trying to get you to rush through everything. By focusing on one task you are working with your consciousness and staying in the present moment with awareness.
By doing this you’re also temporarily “taking the pressure off”. If there were a hundred cars driving over a bridge at once, that bridge would be under a ton of stress. But if each of those cars waited their turn and went one at a time, then the stress in the bridge would be greatly reduced.
Use this strategy in your personal life with your errands and appointments and household chores. If you’re a student then use it in school with assignments, tests, exams etc. If you’re working then use it at work with the various projects that you do.
As you make use of this strategy you will develop “confidence” in your ability to handle large work-loads. You won’t get worried or stressed about being busy because you’ll know from experience that you can handle it. This should also help you accept that stress does not help when you’re busy, and it should start to subside. That should be the state of mind you’re going for, to finally be able to relax even while you’re super busy.