What is this feeling called?

(idk, is this a fun question? :stuck_out_tongue: or a writing question? or an English question? No clue.)

When you are doing a task for a long time (like a month-long project at your work or in your home), and then you finish it, do you ever get that feeling like you’re not finished with it?

You think: “Did I forget something? Is it really done? Isn’t there more to do? Why have I stopped? Certainly, there is more to do.”

How would you describe that feeling? It’s not guilt that you’re feeling, right? Because you did finish it. But you feel like you’re not done with it.

Any words you guys can come up with? Anything is fine. I’ll just use the thesaurus to find closer ones afterwards. I need a start for my search.

It’s not the fear of completion, because you completed it. It’s like the fear of never finishing it even though you know you don’t have to think about it for a while. idk if I’d even call it a fear though… :thinking:


Story context: Pinti’s war on the enemy clan has come to a close once she rescues her sister. But this battle with the enemy has been happening on and off for a month. Now it’s done. She can finally rest.

But she feels like it’s not done because it’s been going on for a month. Every day she has had to wake up to get reports, heal injured warriors, and figure out the enemy’s next plan of attack. Suddenly, all that is gone.

How to describe this feeling? It’s not guilt :thinking:

1 Like

Uncertainty? Anxiety? XD

1 Like

Completion anxiety. This is not the only type.

3 Likes

Maybe anxiety…

I also got apprehension on FB when I asked there.

But idk if apprehension is the right one…

1 Like

I read that. It doesn’t seem to be about the feeling you get after completing a task though.

2 Likes

It is indeed a form of anxiety but not an easily explainible form

2 Likes

Hmm… Back to the thesaurus! XD

1 Like

That oart?

There was 4 parts, specifically:

Completion anxiety manifests as the pressure you put on yourself to have all of your tasks completed and done.

Tailored to your pwrsonal panic point

You are happy with each finished task, but what keeps coming back to you is that there’s always something left undone or unfinished.

Specifically: finished, coming back, something left undone or unfinished.

1 Like

Yes. Just yes. I call it “perfectionism-induced anxiety”

1 Like

Dissatisfaction?

1 Like