i’ve always felt soooo bogged down by any kind of scheduled events in my life, even if it’s something fun that i should theoretically look forward to. call it ADHD, PDA autism, idk- but to mitigate this dread i find it helpful to write everything down in an online planner (use whatever system works for you). some tips:
1. writing down every little thing enables me to see it all in one place and not worry that there’s something else i’ve forgotten about. knowing i have even just one or two things coming up can feel overwhelming but as soon as i can actually see each item in front of me, it feels a lot less daunting.
2. looking at my schedule every morning helps me mentally prepare for the day
3. i used to spend so much energy thinking about an upcoming activity for the entire day leading up to it because i didn’t want to accidentally forget about it. now, i set alarms for when i need to start preparing for an activity- that way i can put it out of my mind until i actually need to start thinking about it.
i know some people feel really burdened by planners/calendars (i refused for the longest time because i like spontaneity and not feeling tied down) but just give it a try and seeee