How to Adjust Your To-do List for Improved Mental Wellbeing

How to Adjust Your To-do List for Improved Mental Wellbeing

Does your to-do list overwhelm you? Do you constantly feel like you are chasing tasks with no end in sight? Do you feel completely drained if you ever do end up ticking everything off? Living in a culture that is focused on doing more and caring for ourselves less, it’s easy to fall into the to-do list trap. Always thinking that there is more to be done and our worth is lessened if things aren’t complete. 


Well, at Bare Cacao we want to change that.


If you have been with us a while, you will know that we are huge advocates of slowing down. Doing less and living more. Our daily cacao rituals are an invitation to simply be. To stop and savour the moment, connect within and move from a place of intention. That being said, we realised that this is a dramatic contrast to what the rest of our day tends to look like. It goes from 0-100 quickly and this is something that could do with some tweaking. 

It got us thinking… what if our to-do list actually helped both our productivity and our ability to be mindful? What difference would it make to schedule in time for ourselves that is important as the zoom calls it is surrounded by? Is it actually possibly for us to achieve more, by doing less? 


According to research, occupational imbalance, which refers to the balance between the occupational tasks that require completion, can lead to stress-related disorders. The irony here is that the more we do, the more our productivity levels take a crash and a vicious circle is created. 


That’s where a soulful to-do list comes in 


Finding a to-do list that is balanced, realistic and fulfilling, as opposed to draining, is a way of not only creating higher productivity levels, but also getting more from our day-to-day. It’s a daily reminder to take care of ourselves in the process of crafting for others. It’s the perfect example of offering from a full cup. 

 

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Here’s how to craft a soulful to-do list

Changing goals to intentions 

You may find yourself wondering what the difference between the two is. Lets break it down.

Goal: “An aim or desired result”. 

Intention: “Something that you want and plan to do”

Essentially, the goal is the end result. It’s rooted in our behaviours of seeking more and looking beyond the present moment. An intention, is closer to the now. It’s not something to work towards, it’s something to do. This often means that it feels more manageable. It isn’t about cultivating pressure, it’s rooted in being present in what you are doing in each moment. This little adjustment can make such a huge difference to your day. When paired with cacao, which opens up the heart-space and connects within, it can help you stay centred throughout the day. 


Prioritising tasks

When we take a look at a never-ending to-do list, overwhelm can take over. With so many of us battling overachievement and perfectionism, to-do lists can feel relentless. The reality is that there is probably some things that can be removed from the list and everything will be just fine. This is where prioritising can be helpful. Categorising what you absolutely need to do and the things that can wait is a brilliant way of making a list feel far more manageable. It’s a kinder way of reaching productivity that is rooted in self-care. If you’re someone who tends to bite off more than you can chew, this technique can facilitate a far more accessible approach. 

Add in soul-fulfilment 

When we write to-do lists and only include all of the external tasks to complete, we can end up feeling depleted very quickly. Tasks that fill us up from within are just as important and deserve a place on the list. It’s as beneficial to tick off the things that offer soul fulfilment as it is to complete everyday tasks. Having a scheduled part of your to-do list that invites you to take time for you is a simple way of adding balance to your day. It’s also likely to increase your productivity levels too. 

Come and tell us what soul-fulfilment you are adding to your to-do list over on Instagram

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