Last week threw me for a loop—an unexpected ER visit with my son had me shifting into full “hospital mode.” You know, that hyper-focused, over-functioning state where you’re handling all the things but not actually feeling anything? Yeah, I’m a pro at that. But once we got home and the dust settled, I found myself stuck in a different mode: freeze.
Cue me staring at my to-do list the next morning, convinced that if I could just power through everything, I’d feel better. Spoiler alert: I didn’t. Instead, I felt rushed, overwhelmed, and somehow more behind. That’s when I realized—I wasn’t trying to be productive, I was trying to outrun my feelings.
In this week’s podcast episode, The Race to Safety, I talk about this sneaky habit so many of us have: thinking we’ll feel safe once we check off all the things. But the truth? That to-do list will never actually end, and the feeling we’re chasing won’t come from getting it all done.
So if you’ve ever found yourself in the “just need to finish everything so I can finally relax” cycle, this episode is for you. I also share:
- Why our nervous system confuses emotional overwhelm with actual danger.
- How I (almost) skipped my morning walk—my one grounding routine—because my brain told me I didn’t have time.
- A funny moment involving my Bible app being stuck in Pidgin English. (Trust me, it’s worth a listen.)
If you want to hear another episode on the topic of to do lists and anxiety, here’s a good one from the archives: Anxiety and Your Never Ending To-Do List
see you in the episode,
Kara
