Stress is a part of life, but not a fun one.
One simple tip I’ve come up with is to write everything down that you’re anxious about in a list. For me this is a Google Keep list, but it can be in any format that you can add to and cross things off of.
The list will serve three functions:
- A place to write your fears down to try to get them out of your head. Freeing you (ideally) from the mental load of keeping it your mind.
- A place to review. If you’re feeling anxious, but can’t determine why, try consulting the list. For me identifying the underlying cause instead of having an ambiguous feeling is helpful.
- When you’re reviewing your list, cross off items that are no longer relevant or you no longer fear. Over time this will accumulate a greater number of past fears than current ones.
For me point 3. is the most valuable. Having kept up this list for over 3 years has allowed me to gain perspective on the many many things that were dire or nerve-wracking at the time, but are the distant past now.
Everything still on my list will be crossed off in time.