What is Task Paralysis?

Have you ever felt helpless when faced with your to-do list, and stuck on where to begin or how to tackle it? This New York Times article discusses the concept of task paralysis and how a long list of tasks – or perhaps one large task – may cause us to feel overwhelmed, freeze, and do nothing. This happens when we view them as a threat: such as the possibility of not accomplishing what you hope to or of letting others down. 

4 Ways to Practice Helpful Behavior When Faced with Task Paralysis

Here are four ways you can calm yourself in the face of overwhelm, and tackle that to-do list clear-headedly:

• Pause and take five to ten slow breaths to calm your nervous system. The exhale portion of the breath is like the brake in a car – it slows down the nervous system. So, practice making the exhale portion of the breath longer than the inhale. This YouTube video offers great guidance on how to practice this.

• Break an overwhelming task into very small, doable pieces. This can help to get you started. This is key, as anticipating a task is often more anxiety-provoking than actually doing it.

• Start with the most enjoyable item on your list. It is common to focus on the “have to” tasks and push aside the “want tos.” By engaging in enjoyable activities you will boost your mood and build momentum for those less enjoyable tasks.

• Don’t avoid your to-do list. As tempting as it may be, avoiding tasks reinforces two anxious thoughts that are frequently inaccurate: 1. The task is threatening (it may not be) and 2. I can’t handle it (you likely can).

Clearing the Fog: Turning Anxiety into Positive Energy

While often emotionally challenging, it is possible to work through anxiety and overwhelm and teach your brain that things are not as threatening as they may seem. Re-read the above steps again – do you see a pattern? It’s all about redirecting that anxious energy and focusing it on the positive: i.e. starting with the small, fun tasks, breaking things up into bite-sized chunks to stop you from spiraling into overwhelm.

These are just a few ways to practice anxiety management skills. If you’d like to learn more about these and other tools – including those related to task paralysis – please contact us at CBTDenver.