Slow down, write it down, get it done

I delivered a seminar last month for a "favorite client" on the East Coast (New York City, to be exact). During the day, one of the participants said something along the lines of:

You're assuming that the best thing to do when you're stressed is to stop and write things down.

For over 15 years I have implemented a variety time and self management methods. I meet with coaches and continue to attend time management/personal management courses. Mix in the hundreds of books, magazine articles, videos, and audio courses I've taken since 1990, and as a result of this, I have come to my own conclusion:

Yes, I do believe one way to relieve the tension of overwhelm and anxiety is to label what it is that is overwhelming, and what it is that causes anxiety.

Only when something has a name can I completely identify, process and understand it. In fact, give something a name, and you're on the way to gain a relaxed, productive, focused perspective...and that is a sure way to make something happen.