I am beginning to feel the Christmas crunch, and because I am stressing just a little, like Santa I have been making out lists.

Each morning after I get up and have had my first cup of coffee, I drag out my little pad and begin jotting down any and all chores I would like to accomplish for the day.

On another piece of paper I write out menus. I like to try and decide what I want to cook for the holidays and when I want to serve the food. This list also includes a running account of what I need to buy at the grocery store.

On a third list, which is the one that most resembles the Jolly Old Elf’s list, I write down my children’s names and underneath each one list out items I have either bought for them or ideas of gifts I plan to buy for them.

This list is constantly evolving because I always try to even things out, and with four children, it gets complicated.

Now that the family has expanded to include two son-in-laws and four grandchildren, my list has morphed into a bigger challenge with the list even taking more than one sheet of paper to compile.

I am a list maker by nature even outside of the holiday season and would not know what to do without a list to remind me of what needs to be done.

I sometimes think how nice it would be if I could just remember things all on my own without having to construct a list, but after doing a little research on the Internet, I discovered that making lists is a good thing.

According to psychologytoday.com, making lists really do help with stress, and they can initiate creativity.

The website stated lists can help with generalized anxiety, creating “air and light in the mind,” which allows room for creativity.

Who does not need space for more room in the brain?

So for those of you who are lists makers like myself or are considering becoming a list maker, I decided to share the six benefits the website LISTS for making lists.

1. Lists provide a positive psychological process whereby questions and confusions can be worked through. True purposes surface.

2. Lists foster a capacity to select and prioritize. This is useful for an information-overload situation.

3. Lists separate minutia from what matters, which is good for identity as well as achievement.

4. Lists help determine the steps needed. That which resonates informs direction and plan.

5. Lists combat avoidance. Taking abstract to concrete sets the stage for commitment and action, especially if you add self-imposed deadlines.

6. Lists organize and contain a sense of inner chaos, which can make your load feel more manageable.

So whether you are making a list and checking it twice or not, for some, lists can be very handy, especially around the holiday season.

And from first hand knowledge, it feels so good when you can check something off!

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.