Home
>
Stress Management
>
Stress Managment and Mastery: Too Much to Do Stress - Write it Down, Break it Down, Knock it Down

Stress Managment and Mastery: Too Much to Do Stress - Write it Down, Break it Down, Knock it Down

"I've got too much to do, I've just got too much to do!"

We have all said it and we have all lived it. I call this particular kind of stress Too Much To Do stress, or TMTD stress. When we feel TMTD stress, we typically have one or both of the following reactions. We either just say the heck with it and let everything pile up. Or we try to do it all and make ourselves and those around us miserable.

Another, more powerful and useful solution is to write it down, break it down, and knock it down.

Write it down

When we take the time to write down all the things we have to do, we reap at least two key benefits:

1)We keep it from running around in our heads over and over again.

2)We are able to put it outside of ourselves, which allows us to step back and get a better picture of what is in front of us.

It's a cop-out to claim you don't have time to write it all down. You are right that it will take a few minutes, but they are minutes well-spent that will save you time and stress.

Get a sheet of paper and divide it into four columns. In the first column list all the things that you need to do. They are now on paper, which makes them much more manageable than when they are taking up space in your head.

When we continually say "I've got too much to do," we see all of our tasks as one huge unmanageable job. It's like trying to eat a pizza in one big bite. You choke and can't do it. We eat a pizza by cutting it into slices and then eating it a bite at a time. Do the same thing with your to-do list.

After you have written goals down, the next step is to break them into manageable pieces. You can get a lot done a little bit at a time.

So now, back to your sheet of paper. In the first of the four columns, you have written down all the tasks you want to complete. The next three columns are for each of the next three days, over which you are going to divide all the tasks on your to-do list. Break your tasks down by scheduling some on day one, some on day two and some on day three.

In this way, you have taken this long list of things to do, and broken them down into manageable pieces that you can do over three or more days.

Once you have written it down and broken it down, you will have renewed energy to get things done, to knock these things down.

If you notice that some of these items no longer seem as important, discard them and move onto the next task.

It's important to remember that if you do not get everything done that is scheduled for one day, the course of history will probably not be affected. Just do it the next day. Remember, the point of this exercise is to reduce your stress, not increase it.

Write it down, break it down, knock it down, and send that Too Much To Do stress packing.

For more leading edge tips and tools for managing and mastering stress, you are invited to visit Jeff Herring's toolsforsuccessfulliving.com

after renovation cleaning Glenview ...

In The News:

Ahold Delhaize's cybersecurity incident knocked online ordering and digital coupons offline at Stop & Shop, Food Lion, Hannaford and Giant Food stores.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Amazon's About You feature includes personality details from your shopping history, and some shoppers are finding hilariously awkward results.

Identity theft recovery starts with securing bank accounts, freezing credit and enabling two-factor authentication within the first 24 hours.

Apple's $299 HomeView smart display uses facial recognition to personalize screens for up to six household members and show live security camera feeds.

Domonique DuBose spotted red flags when a man on Hinge with 85,000 followers and a blue checkmark claimed to be a San Francisco 49ers player.

Your phone's location data can expose visits to doctors, pharmacies and places of worship. The FTC took action against data brokers selling this data.

Hackers targeted Danfoss refrigerator controls across French supermarkets, forcing chains like Carrefour and Monoprix to discard massive food stocks.

iOS 27 finally lets iPhone Shared Albums store photos and videos at full resolution in iCloud, but new items count toward the owner's storage.

A fake Facebook Marketplace text scam uses your real name as the seller to trick you into replying, and Malwarebytes warns even one response helps.

The Pentagon data breach exposed 2.76 million Social Security numbers and military records, raising long-term identity theft concerns for veterans.

Kodiak AI plans to haul IKEA freight on Texas highways with no one in the cab, raising urgent cybersecurity and safety questions for drivers.

Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 adds Extend and Reframe tools to Photos, letting iPhones generate new background areas beyond your original borders.

Microsoft's X account was hijacked to promote a crypto pump-and-dump scheme, exposing its more than 13 million followers to a scam campaign.

Scammers can combine your name, phone number and address with data breach details to attempt SIM swaps, phishing and even identity theft schemes.

ChatGPT Work, Meta Muse and Gemini Spark can monitor flight prices, sort your email inbox and track important deadlines, but savvy users start small.

iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel each hide a built-in tool that turns a video frame into a separate photo without any screenshot needed.

Operation KillSwitch dismantled KillSec's ransomware infrastructure, but investigators say a 16-year-old allegedly ran the entire cybercrime operation.

The Fox News Artificial Intelligence newsletter covers where voters will decide on AI data center ballot measures and Jeff Bezos' tech vision.

Apple's Impersonation Risk Detection in iOS 27 can flag suspicious activity inside apps, but the setting is off by default and must be enabled.

Federal Election Commission records can expose your name, address, employer and donation history once contributions exceed the $200 threshold.

Cybersecurity expert Morgan Wright says human skepticism remains the strongest defense against AI-driven phishing scams and voice cloning fraud schemes.

iPhone, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy each handle security updates differently, and one screen saying "up to date" may not tell the whole story.

Deborah Del Mastro heard what sounded like her daughter's terrified voice on the phone, launching a five-hour virtual kidnapping scam ordeal.

Hotel TV privacy risks go beyond forgotten passwords when you sign into Netflix or other streaming apps on shared devices you don't control.

Stress Managment and Mastery: Too Much to Do Stress - Write it Down, Break it Down, Knock it Down

Stress Management