So many of us these days are engulfed by feelings of being overwhelmed.
We’re overwhelmed by all the things we have to do, we’re overwhelmed by all the information coming at us, we’re overwhelmed by how fast everything is moving and how fast we have to run just to keep up.
And there are good reasons for feeling this way – our daily life is more demanding and more stressful than it once was.
Feeling overwhelmed can lead to other gloomy emotions and we can soon start to feel “anxious”, “helpless”, “inadequate” and a host of other negative conditions. Thinking this way only adds to our sense of overwhelm because on top of all that we are now carrying the belief that there is something about us that is unable to cope.
I did some research on “being overwhelmed” and ways of dealing with it.
Hope it helps you in some small way.
Being overwhelmed – a quick overview and quick tips
There’s no rule that says you have to be a superhero. So much has been written about amazing individuals that achieve the impossible – they juggle fulltime jobs, study, raise children, run a household, coach the national cricket team and write a novel in their spare time. Anyone you read about that does all these things is a rare individual. And they probably forgot to tell you about the six months they spent recovering from all the exertion…
Small amounts of stress can be motivating, however high levels of stress can have the opposite effect. Common symptoms of excess stress include fatigue, feeling overwhelmed, irritability and increased susceptibility to illness.
Are you always rushing to catch up? Do you have an enormous “To Do’ list that seems to grow each day? Poor time management is a common source of anxiety
and stress.
If you have trouble getting things done, prioritize tasks, eliminate unnecessary activities and plan your day effectively. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Be clear about what you are trying to achieve. Set personal, financial and career goals. Take time at the beginning or end of each day to plan.
. - List everything you need to do and the date by which it needs to be completed.
. - Number each item in order of priority. Your highest priority items will be the ones that help you achieve your long-term goals and ambitions.
. - Delegate or lose tasks that do not help you achieve your goals and ambitions.
. - Place a value on your time, and eliminate tasks that do not have a positive payback. For example, if you value your time at ## an hour, consider hiring someone at # an hour to do your housework.
. - Do one thing at a time, and see the task through to completion before starting something else. Switching between tasks can be a huge time waster.
. - Attack the tough top priority jobs first. Most people have a tendency to do all the little tasks first so they can get them out of the way. It is more effective to start with the highest priority task. Ask yourself, “What one task if completed would have the greatest positive impact on achieving my goals?”
Try completing this task first.
. - Handle incoming mail once (and this includes email). Don’t keep putting it aside – make a decision and act on it immediately.
. - Set time aside each day to work or study without interruption – close the door, turn on your voice mail – do whatever it takes to make sure you can work in peace and quiet.
. - Don’t take on more than you can handle. If you can’t fit it in, say no.
. - Plan your personal time, such as playing tennis or catching up with friends. People often think that leisure activities need to be spontaneous but this isn’t true, it can be just as much fun to plan time out.
. - Plan your errands, client calls and other travel to ensure you make the best use of your time.
. - Find time each week to do something to nurture your soul – spend time with your children, dance, write in a journal or enjoy some guilt-free leisure. Scheduling time for relaxation will keep you motivated.
. - If you don’t already have a dairy, put this on your shopping list today. You can use it to record your goals, appointments and also to remind you to take part in regular exercise, hobbies, family and romantic time and last but not least – fun!
You still work a job? Overwhelmed at work ?
In these days of downsizing, many workers are carrying a heavier work-load than they used to, and feeling overwhelmed by it.
The more overwhelmed we feel, the less well are we likely to deal with the problem. Often we get into a state of mind in which we are convinced that nothing will help. At that point, stop, take a deep, slow breath, and commit to trying at least four of the potential solutions below even if you don’t think they apply to your situation – not all of them will. They largely fall into two categories – how you think about the situation, and how you deal with it.
1. Avoid getting into a victim stance.
Once you start being a victim you adopt a role of helplessness in which you can do nothing to get yourself out. Remember, there is no knight in shining armor to rescue you. It is your situation, and you, more than anyone else, have responsibility for changing it.
2. Stay in the moment.
Do not get caught in the trap of thinking about all the other things that will need doing when you finish what you are doing at that moment. We finish each task much more quickly and easily if we focus solely on it, instead of at the same time worrying about what else we need to do, about the situation in general, and about whose fault it all is.
3. Take time to list all the tasks on which you spend time and decide which ones are not essential.
Your first impulse will be that every one of them is absolutely essential. Move past that to decide which tasks are not. There will probably be some that you decided to do because that was the ideal way to do it. Remember that every task serves an end result. In most work situations it is the result that must be achieved, not the process. The process can often be shortened without damage to the result.
4. Delegate.
Decide if there is anything that can be delegated, or that more fairly belongs to someone else’s work load. Do not just dump it on them, but discuss with those involved how work may be redistributed more fairly.
5. Talk to someone
Your managers and colleagues are not mind readers. If you don’t say anything, no-one will know a that anything is wrong. Sit down with your boss and broach the subject by saying that you’d like his or her help in prioritizing your asks because you don’t want to see anything slip through the cracks. This will give everyone the perception that you are thinking of the best interests of the organization. You can let on that you are feeling a little overworked, but be careful. You don’t want to come across across as a whiner.
6. Keep in mind that work loads are often cyclical.
The fact that you are rushed off your feet this week does not mean the situation is permanent. What can you legitimately put aside to catch up on when things slow down a bit? (This is NOT the same thing as procrastinating.)
7. Take your breaks.
Five minutes away from the work situation will do far more to clear your head and your attitude than the work you would achieve in that five minutes if you did not leave your desk. Lunch-breaks exist not just so that we can eat, but so that we may take a mental break. Put something in your office or work situation to remind you of pleasant things and take you out of your frantic mind-set. Read or listen to something that will inspire you or bring you peace.
8. If you cannot find any way to change your situation, and continue to feel trapped, remind yourself that you chose this job. Remind yourself why.
Has it now become something different from what it was when you were hired? Do you still choose it? If not, start updating your resume. If you choose to stay, remember that you are there by choice, which must mean that in some way the positives still outweigh the negatives. Try to focus on the positives.
This video may help:- How to Overcome Fear
If you are working a job, then you may want to find the right training and tools to enable you to make a plan to finish that job.
See the form top right……. fill it 😉
All the best Rob Howells
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