ABOUT THE LIST MAKING MOMMA
I’m Jasmine, Licensed Professional Counselor (clinical mental health) by education, creator by passion, mom & wife by God’s grace, list-maker by anxiety, digital designer by chance, and blogging about it all, finally! I am the ‘Momma’ of list making momma! Thanks for being here!
I LUH-UVV my day job. I work with beautiful souls who are usually having a difficult time in their current season of life. The process of therapy is genuinely amazing. Two individuals (a client and myself) commit to authentically showing up for 50 minutes each week, no-holds-barred, the raw, unguarded version of ourselves. For some, it is easy-peasy. For most, that level of vulnerability is usually avoided (sometimes subconsciously) at all costs. I’ve been trying to think of how to best describe the experience from a counselor’s POV. It is like teaching someone to ride a bike in the middle of summer. You really want the individual to feel the wind blowing in their hair, the confidence of balancing on two wheels without help, and the joy of the hard work paying off. You can’t do it for them; you share what you know (look straight ahead not at the wheels), your perspective (there’s a pothole), and encourage the person (you can do this. You have what it takes). And let me tell ya! Ohhh Weee! When they start pedaling and leave me behind, yelling and smiling big big. I am yelling and smiling just as much. It is a giddy feeling and peaceful contentment to walk beside a hurting human as they process their pains and heal emotional wounds.
I also love everything else, too. (rolling my eyes at myself, too) I have an undiagnosed clinical case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). The tentacles of FOMO are far-reaching. Be it activities, events, rest, sleep, smiles, tears – I want to be a part of it all. It’s a problem. A problem that creates other problems, actually. I start a blog for example, and I start planning a 25-person family vacation, and I start re-potting my succulents, and I buy a wet/vac thing to clean the couch. Catch my drift? I WANT to do all of these things (I nixed doing things I don’t want to do a few years back, more on that later), and I can do all of these things. How? With my lists and some grace and understanding (reminders that it’s okay to give energy to some things today and some things tomorrow, you won’t forget bc it’s on the list).
Do you ever wonder what it’s like inside other folk’s heads? Like does their inner dialogue work like yours? I’ve encountered people that don’t ‘hear their voice’ but instead see images/’movies’. Sometimes, my brain sees the words I’m thinking as text (anybody else?).
Anyway, the way my brain works can be pretty chaotic. I can have an idea, mark it as highly important/incredible, and 10 minutes seconds later it’s gone for 2 months until I randomly think about it again.
My savior/fix/secret weapon: LISTS
Nine times out of ten, I have a list for it. I have premade lists that I reference when necessary.
EX: We decide to go to the pool/beach last minute/day of – I pull out my phone > notes app > search: beach > identify items needed for this specific trip and anxiety decreases.
Why anxiety? Well, again, the way my brain works may be different. It really chaps my buns when I need something that I have at home but didn’t think to bring it or thought to bring it and forgot to grab it. I get anxious. . . . . This is becoming an extended overshare! Ha. If you’ve read until this point, thanks! I hope you come along with me on this journey and check out some of my posts, and find resources that benefit you as well!
