Oh, how I love lists!

In actual fact, lists are how I maintain sanity. I don’t throw that idea around lightly and I know that I’m in good company. At least 40 million Americans and I have a problem with anxiety. There are just so many things so utterly out of our individual control. So. Many. Things.

My newest list was actually prescribed to me recently by my therapist and I think I now know precisely how Harriet felt when Dr. Wagner gave her the notebook. I had previously been operating under the impression that the lists are a crutch and that I shouldn’t need them as much as I do. My therapist disagrees with this notion. Her feeling is that the lists are a tool like any other tool and they only has as much power as I give them.

I now have this little notepad that has a little pen attached and the only thing I use it for is when a worry floats into my mind. I just jot it down, not a huge description or anything, just a note. The idea is that I don’t need to fuss over the worry right then and there. I’ve just recorded it and I don’t have to pass judgment on it, I’m just noticing it. Then I also have a designated time of the day when I read through the list.

Yes, I have a regularly scheduled time to worry. Yay?

It took a few days but I now see what an awesome brain emptying technique it is. I read through the list when I’m having my second cup of coffee and half of the time, I can just cross a worry right off the list because it’s no longer relevant in the light of day. The other half of the time, I can assign an action to it. The more I’ve done it, the more successful I’ve become at letting the thought go once I write it down because I know that I’ll cover it during my list review time.

It’s not a sparkly magic solution but it doesn’t really have to be in order to be valuable, does it?