Unlocking Productivity: Overcoming To-Do List Overwhelm

Is your to-do list silently running the show—and running you into the ground?

In this solo episode of Unlock Your Blocks, host Elyssa Smith dives into the emotional and psychological weight of to-do lists. She explores how the freeze survival response, perfectionism, and childhood conditioning contribute to chronic overwhelm. More than just a time management issue, Elyssa reveals how our nervous systems react to productivity pressure—and offers compassionate, practical tools for reclaiming calm and control.

This is a must-listen for high achievers, people-pleasers, and perfectionists ready to step off the hamster wheel and back into self-leadership.

✅ What You’ll Learn:

• Why to-do list overwhelm activates a freeze response
  
  
• How childhood programming contributes to perfectionism and procrastination
  
  
• The danger of treating your to-do list like a controlling entity
  
  
• How to break tasks into manageable categories
  
  
• The role of self-care and nervous system regulation in productivity
  
  
• Practical tips for outsourcing, simplifying, and softening the pressure
  
  
• The “Three S’s” approach for stress and overwhelm
  
  
• How to shift from all-or-nothing thinking to graceful action
  
  

🕒 Episode Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction to Overwhelm and Productivity
03:05 – Understanding To-Do List Overwhelm
05:47 – The Impact of Childhood Conditioning
09:00 – The Freeze Response and Its Consequences
12:06 – Steps to Overcome Overwhelm
17:07 – Practical Strategies for Managing Your To-Do List

Get a free call with Elyssa:
​​Ladies - book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks focus call with Elyssa to get to the root of why you are stuck playing small and help you discover your next steps. You are just 15 minutes from the clarity that will set you free!

Book here: https://elyssasmith.com/focus

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📘 Facebook Group – The Stressless Lounge