I love a 'to do' list and always have on one the go. It helps me to remember what I have to do and when. Most of the time that's great, but there are times when I seem to be adding more to it than I'm crossing off or there's so much on there that I don't know what to do next. In time like these a 'to do' list can become intimidating and actually create anxiety instead of helping us stay in control. We finish one task, only to be straight on with the next.

An over-full 'to do' list can make us focus only on the things we haven't done yet and can make us feel like we've achieved nothing. We get stressed and anxious, performance starts to suffer and we're so busy worrying about what we haven't done yet that we can't get on with what we're doing now. In extreme cases we might feel so overwhelmed that it triggers a panic attack.

There are literally thousands of articles out there about time management and prioritisation etc. but this isn't one of them. This is about controlling anxiety caused by the pressure that our 'to do' list put on us. The time management and prioritisation stuff will help too and a well-managed list is a great thing, but what can we do specifically for our mental health?

To my mind, the 'to do' list is only half the picture. What every 'to do' list needs is to be coupled with a "Ta-Dah!" list.

A "Ta-Dah!" list shifts the focus onto what you have achieved. It doesn't matter what it is, it can be anything, as long as it's something that makes you feel good or you're proud of. Work, family, personal; big things, small or even seemingly  trivial, it doesn't matter.

The key thing that your "Ta-Dah!" list does is make you stop, think and focus on your successes, achievements and the things you have enjoyed. There are no rules about how much or how often you add to it but the more often you do, the more you'll appreciate how all the small successes and little things you do add up to something far greater. Most importantly, every time you add to your "Ta-Dah!" list it makes you feel good ... and when you feel good, you boost your seratonin levels so you feel happier and more positive. That boost in seratonin brings your anxiety down too.

The more "Ta-Dah!", the less anxiety!

If there's one thing to add to your 'to do' list every now and again, make it this:

• Do my "Ta-Dah!" List

Here's where I keep my "Ta-Dah!" list. I love a book and a nice pen to write with so this is where I'm happiest but keep yours in whichever format you like best.