From Monday until Thursday, I felt completely overwhelmed. I won’t go into details about work or what exactly was happening because that’s not really the point. Some weeks are simply heavier than others.
The funny thing is that I refuse to work late. Once my workday is over, I close my laptop and I don’t think about work anymore. I don’t answer messages, I don’t check emails, and I don’t spend my evenings trying to catch up.
But the other side of that choice is that the work is still there the next morning.
Every day this week started with opening my computer and immediately feeling like there wasn’t a single slow moment to ease into the day. It was straight into solving problems, answering questions, and trying to keep up.
What surprised me most, though, was noticing something about myself.
The busier everything becomes, the more chaotic my brain feels. It’s almost as if every new task pushes three older ones out of sight. I jump between thoughts, forget what I was about to do, remember something else halfway through, and suddenly I’m surrounded by tabs, dirty dishes, and questions I can’t answer.
I’ve heard mention ADHD more than once when describing “my problem”. Maybe that’s true for some people. Personally, I’m not looking for another label. I don’t feel the need to explain myself with a name.
And now it’s Friday. The work is still there. There’s still plenty to do. But this morning I realised something.
When my head feels overwhelmed, I don’t need a better app or a more complicated productivity system. I need to get everything out of my head and onto paper.
That was the breakthrough.
A simple handwritten to-do list. So that’s my Friday plan: a cup of coffee, a pen, a piece of paper, and a little bit of romanticising the ordinary workday.
It feels like exactly what I need. And I’m glad I found it 🙂
How has your week been? Busy, slow, or somewhere in between? I’d love to hear what helps you find a little calm when life gets hectic.
Ilze
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Ilze – we are all different – what works for one, does not for the other. I am one who, entirely by choice, has always had too much on my plate – that makes me feel alive and may not always be the mentally healthiest either .. . but it makes me content ! I do love to be fairly organized most of the time, leaving gaps to stare at the weather and meditate. Live by lists, lists and more lists so I know what still has to be done on the day and that the word ‘forget’ does not enter the arena. Get certain things done at the same time every day so I can forget about them. Personally, I have always liked to work at periods others don’t so that I can take time free say to have a three-hour-lunch when others are working – ie I like to set my own private routine . . . you, working from a home with growing children who need you and, by the look of it, a job when you have to be there when needed, may not be able to do that. I DO very much finish one task, tick it off on the list and then go on to the next logical task . . . but that is me . . . 😉 !
Thank you, Eha. 😊 I think you’ve found a rhythm that really suits you, and that’s probably the most important thing. I admire how well you know what works for you. I also like crossing things off a list—it gives such a satisfying feeling of progress! Working from home with children does make the days a little less predictable, but that’s part of this season of life. Have you always been such a dedicated list-maker, or did that habit develop over the years?
I am happy for you that you found it. My week has been pretty much as usual until yesterday. My son-in-law worked at my place all day. You just keep doing what you can when you can. Just take a deep breath and be you. You know what works for you and that is a good thing. Hope you have a wonderful Friday. Hugs
Thank you so much, Mags. ❤️ You’re absolutely right—doing what we can is all any of us can do. It sounds like you had a productive day with your son-in-law helping out! I hope you have a lovely weekend and get a chance to relax a little too. What project was he helping you with?
I am having a nice restful day. He built new steps and rails for my front porch and redid a ramp that makes it easier for me to get to the backyard from the front yard. He is very talented and my best handyman ever. 😊He is a sweetheart.
That sounds wonderful, Mags! ❤️ New steps and a ramp are such meaningful improvements, especially when they make everyday life easier. Your son-in-law sounds incredibly talented and very kind—it must be such a comfort to have someone like that in the family. 😊 I hope you enjoy your restful weekend and your beautiful new porch!
At my age and not ass steady on my feet as in the past this was very much needed. He is very talented. I haven’t seen anything yet that he could not do. He loves to build and fix things. He remodeled their whole house and it is beautiful. He hired someone to put in new windows, he did all the other work himself. It is a comfort to have him in the family for sure.
Sounds nice! 😊 What’s his major? And what kind of job does he have? It sounds like construction or handyman work might be a great path for him!
In the past for several years he worked as a landscaper. Now he is the manager of a hardware store. He loves his job and looks forward to going to work every day.
I bet! Managing a hardware store must be both challenging and interesting!
It is for sure what he is good at and loves it.
I agree so much, Ilze. I can’t function in that kind of one-thing-after-another chaos either. I have gotten so I never stay beyond my scheduled shift and I rarely give up days off to go in to work anymore. I value my peace too much. And… I don’t think I could survive without my lists, lol.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one! 😊 I’ve realized that protecting my evenings has made such a difference, even if the work is still waiting the next morning. Lists really are lifesavers when my brain starts juggling too many things at once! Do you still write your lists on paper, or have you switched to using your phone or computer?
Paper. Always. I need the satisfaction of physically crossing off the items I have finished, lol
I agree with you! I was using a digital “thing,” but no way, it’s not the same!
Dear Ilze, I hear you loud and clear! When I worked full time in a very busy job, I lived by lists or to do lists every day and week. It was the only way for me to dump what was in my head and out onto paper. I could then function so much better! Good luck with it! 😀
Now I’m retired, I still have a weekly to do list, I guess old habits die hard!
Thank you, Stephanie! 😊 It really was such a simple breakthrough, but exactly what I needed. There’s something about writing everything down by hand that instantly makes my head feel lighter. I love that you still keep a weekly list even in retirement—it sounds like it’s become part of your way of staying organized rather than just managing work. Do you enjoy retirement more now that you can choose what goes on your to-do list?
I love retirement & yes, I get to choose what goes on that list now! That’s the best part! For every task I draw a little box where I add a tick when it’s completed. Love those ✅ and so satisfying!
After a few TIAs, a therapist told me that no one can multi-task. We can only do one thing at a time. The trick since the TIAs is completing one task at a time so things do get done.
I had to google “TIAs”. I’m sorry you had to go through that! I agree with you, one task, at a time… I just need to write them down and handpick 🙂
Lists allow the mind to relax 👌
Lists allow the mind to relax , yes!
The breakthrough you landed on is the one people spend years and dozens of apps trying to avoid. An overwhelmed brain isn’t a productivity problem, it’s a storage problem. Nothing thinks clearly while it’s also trying to hold everything. Getting it out of your head and onto paper frees up the mental space to actually work. And I respect the closed laptop rule too. Leaving the work there is what lets you come back with a brain that can handle it. Pen, paper, coffee, and romanticising the ordinary is a genuinely good system. My calm comes from the same place, one page, everything dumped onto it, then the next right thing. Hope your Friday felt lighter, Ilze.