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Anxious and overwhelmed

Tennessee Jed

Active member
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
584
MBTI Type
INFP
Unfortunately, I can't remember where I read this from (the article was fairly recently published) but it's suggested that people who feel overwhelmed, anxious and depressed, should take on small tasks one at a time, in order to slowly regain the feeling of control and productivity. Only do what you can even if it's something minor like making your bed and when you add up multiple small tasks, it can end up to be quite a bit. [...snipped]

Yes, basically this is what I meant by "incrementalism" in my post above.

Another type of incrementalism: When I have a particularly tough task and I just can't face up to getting started on it (I get stuck in procrastinating mode), then I find I can get started on the project in the following manner: Do ten minutes of work on that project, then take a break and do some light busy work like cleaning the dishes, then do ten more minutes on the project, then take another break and do some light busy work like doing laundry, then do ten more minutes on the project, etc.

It's an easy way to get into a difficult project--ten minutes is doable. Then you use the break to let the project percolate in the back of your mind and figure where you want to go with the project during your next ten-minute work session. And at the same time, you're staying productive, getting housework out of the way at the same time.

There's actually a commercial study system based on this: The Pomodoro system. It's basically just a timer: You set it for 25 minutes of work then take a break.

A long-term variation on "incrementalism" is the Japanese system of kaizen: Make small, healthy changes in your life, one small change per day. Not big changes. Just small stuff, like read a book for 10 minutes every day at dinner, or swap out an unhealthy snack for a healthy snack in the afternoons. Do that every day for weeks and months, and your life will increasingly take on an upward arc of self-improvement, inspiring you with confidence and a feeling that life is improving for you.

By the way, in my post above I suggested "incrementalism" for Ne's (to ward off feelings of martyrdom and giving up) and "paradigm change" and "letting it go" for Ni's (to ward off control freakism and getting stuck on a problem with no solution). But really any person can run into problems of both types. So both types of approaches can be useful, depending on the type of individual problem you are facing on a given day. (The second part of your post, concerning the Serenity Prayer, is actually about "letting it go" and paradigm change.)
 

geedoenfj

The more you know..
Joined
Oct 6, 2015
Messages
3,347
MBTI Type
ENFJ
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
I’ve been having panic attacks on daily basis for two years now, it comes anytime without warning, it literally stopped me from doing anything, and it lead to me avoiding public places because I’m too scared to go through another one in front of complete strangers, the elevator and confined spaces were a living nightmare, I don’t know how I could be living now without those anti-depression pills which I’m still on..

I’m glad I’m in a much better place right now (due to the pills for the biggest part) , but when I’m not busy or engaged in something, I get these bad memories attacking my head, words and situations where I most felt hurt, and I just feel worthless and hopeless and broken, I’m keeping my mind busy and try to find those little joys in life so I can have the strength and willingness to push those negative thoughts away from me
 
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