Trying to Do Too Many Things at One Time

I’m the kind of person that has a lot of hobbies. As such, I’m constantly coming up with ideas for creative projects related to those hobbies. The amount that I’ve been able to devote to those projects because of my anxiety, however, is nowhere near what I sometimes envision it to be. Oftentimes I am guilty of trying to do too many things at one time, and I need to be better about that.

Anxiety Worsens When Trying to Do Too Many Things at One Time

One of the ways my anxiety works is I am often unable to do a lot of things at one time. Furthermore, if I do a lot, I’ll need to take frequent breaks to help my mind relax. I’ve always been this way, and I don’t see that ever-changing.

This isn’t bad in and of itself. What makes it bad is how I will sometimes respond to it. I’ll often feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do, and because of that, I’ll push myself to do more that would normally do. This only lasts for a short time, as after a while, I will hit a wall and just have to stop completely. This isn’t a good way to treat myself – it’s as though I’m using a worn-out machine well past its breaking point, knowing that it’ll fall apart at any second, but ignoring the warning signs because I just want to.

This has the counterproductive effect of making me dislike whatever it is that I’m doing. If, for instance, I’m trying to get a bunch of reading done to research something for a project, I’ll hit that wall and end up feeling negative about whatever it is I’m reading about. Sometimes this bleeds over and makes me feel negative about the very act of reading itself. As someone who loves reading, this is tragic, but it’s a mistake I seem to keep making.

How to Be Okay with Not Doing a Lot

I know I’m not the only person who tries to do too many things at one time. So I want to try and give advice so this doesn’t happen. It isn’t fun, and it causes you to look negatively on things you may genuinely love. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

The most important thing to remember is that your wellbeing is the most important thing. If it takes cutting out all but the essentials so that you feel alright, then let it be done. Nothing is worse than driving yourself to overload. There is never a good reason for that.

It sounds silly, but following your heart is the best way to handle such situations. Devote your time only to what your heart tells you it wants to do. That will make you happy and will make you feel the most satisfied and productive when the day ends. If you don’t end up getting around to a lot of other things, forget about it. There will always be more time. You should always come first when it comes to your mental health.

Do you find yourself trying to do too many things at one time? What happens when you do that? Share your thoughts in the comments.