One of the many things that gives rise to anxiety is having too much on your plate – that is, you have too much on your “to-do list” and not enough time to get it all done. If you have too much to do, you feel stressed. If you can’t get it all done, the stress never goes away. And if the stress never goes away, it can develop into anxiety.
The Ovsiankina Effect
When we have something that needs doing, or is only partially done, it stays in our mind. Intrusive thoughts will invade our mind, telling us that it needs to be completed. It will nag at us until it is completed, creating a tension that inhabits us. In psychology, this is known as the Ovsiankina Effect (after the Russian psychologist Maria Ovsiankina – and, no, I don’t know how to pronounce her name either!)
So, when you have ten jobs to do in the day, you may find yourself rushing round to finish them all. You may also notice a tension in your body and mind while they remain unfinished. When the last one is completed, there is that “Aaaahhh” moment when you can relax.
If you have too much to do, and never get to the end of the to-do list, you are always in a state of tension and never reach the point at which your mind can relax. If this goes on too long, it can lead to anxiety.
Capacity for Stress
Different people have different capacities for this type of stress. Some people are quite happy with a huge number of unfinished tasks, whereas others find it difficult to cope with just a few. So you need to get to know your own self. Learn what leads to anxiety, and what you can cope with.
What Can You Do About It?
What can you do about this source of anxiety? Quite simple, you have to reduce the amount of unfinished things on your plate. You have to get some of those jobs finished before starting new projects. Or you just have to take on less, so not as much is going on to your plate in the first place.
It is often difficult for someone who is a naturally busy individual to slow down a bit, or for someone who likes starting something new more than finishing things off just to stop taking on new stuff and clear the backlog. However – this is exactly what you have to do.
And Finally …
I help people who are only just coping with stress and anxiety. If you need help in this area, if you don’t feel you can manage it on your own, then contact me and we can look to setting up some hypnotherapy sessions so that you can get back in control of your life.
References
The psychology of unfinished tasks, Dr Hannah Rose
https://nesslabs.com/unfinished-tasks
Photo by Meruyert Gonullu on pexels