Mental benefits of making a list: Tip of the Day 7-26-22

The responsibilities of adulting can take a mental toll on anyone. When there seems to not be enough time in a day, stress can feel overwhelming.

For me, running a business and blog with no employees yet, and being a sports mom of a teen with a rigorous schedule, sometimes I wonder how in the world I can get everything done. Recently I started making a weekly list. I’m amazed, not only at what I’ve accomplished, but also at how much better I feel mentally. Turns out, there’s some psychology behind making lists.

Let me clarify, I don’t always get every single thing on my list done. This is because, in life, unexpected things happen. But, I know for a fact that I’ve gotten way more done than if I had not made a list. The physical reference mentally motivates me to want to cross things off the list. For example, yesterday was filled with things to do from the start of my day to the end. Grocery shopping was on my list, which I hadn’t gotten to earlier in the day. My son’s basketball training ended at 9pm. Usually, I don’t shop at night. But because it was on my list, and my son was with me, we got the shopping done. I felt great and accomplished at the end of the night because I only missed one thing on my list.

I like to map my weeks out by the day. I’ll list appointments and goals for Monday, Tuesday, ect… and I include a rest day. Creating a list has definitely helped me organize my thoughts and de-clutter my mind. It feels like awesome self care to me!

Remember to give yourself grace. Sometimes you will get things done later in the day because of unexpected reasons. Instead of focusing on what didn’t get done, feel accomplished for what you did do.

For more psychological benefits of making a list, see this article.

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