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How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
Simplify
Being overwhelmed goes hand in hand with having a mind full of complicated thoughts and chaos. David Allen reminds us, "Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them."
Are you willing to make your life simpler? Are you willing to make your mind simple, and approach the things in your life with a sense of simplicity?
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Key Ideas
Stop
Have the courage to stop what you're doing. Give yourself the space to slow down, so you can see the bigger picture and get a handle on things.
Take a day or two to rest, do nothing, and regroup. Center yourself so that you have the energy to make wiser, healthier decisions.
Let go of some things
Lin Yutang said, "besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials."
What don't you need to do? What can you delegate or let go of?
Commit to less
Having too much to do often has to do with unrealistic goal setting and over-committing your time and energy.
Are you being overly ambitious? What you can really do?
Say no
People who are overwhelmed spread their energy too thinly.
When you feel scattered and pulled apart in a lot of different directions, are you willing to pull yourself back in and say "no" to others?
Know your priorities
Look at the bigger picture of your life, and how you really want to spend your precious time and energy. Taking time to contemplate your priorities is key to having focused flow.
Simplify
Being overwhelmed goes hand in hand with having a mind full of complicated thoughts and chaos. David Allen reminds us, "Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them."
Are you willing to make your life simpler? Are you willing to make your mind simple, and approach the things in your life with a sense of simplicity?
Limit yourself
Be willing to focus on just a few things at a time. Put limits on certain activities that aren't important.
By limiting your time and energy for certain endeavors, and not allowing yourself to get lost in the day-to-day, you can create more time and space in your life.
Develop self-esteem
Oftentimes, an underlying poor self-esteem is the culprit of over-doing and over-committing. Instead of understanding your own needs, you are constantly catering to the needs of others.
Be willing to take time for self-care.
Tune in to what you want to feel
Sometimes we get so lost in feeling stressed and overwhelmed, we forget about what we really do want to feel and experience.
Refocusing your attention and intention can help you reset your energy.
Re-imagine a new schedule
Imagine a new lifestyle, from scratch. If you made your health and happiness a priority, what would your day look like? How would you wake up? What would your day consist of?
Let your new schedule inspire you and be a natural guide for what you prefer to experience each day.
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Key Ideas
Start with a clean plate
We have to take a step back on a regular basis and reevaluate what we have on our plate and why.
Instead of thinking, “Oh my gosh, there’s too much on my plate!" ask, “...
Learn to say NO
Saying yes to everything puts you on the fast track to being miserable. Sometimes you have to set clear boundaries.
The alternative is that you’re going to do a half-hearted, poor job at each task, be stressed beyond belief, and feel like you’re stuck in an endless cycle of failure and frustration.
Focus on 3 things every day
- Wake up every morning and figure out what the most important 3 things are for the day, and cut out the rest.
- Address your other obligations right then and there, and tell the associated people that your plate is full.
- Instead of task-switching, give each task some allotted time.
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Key Ideas
When you’re feeling overwhelmed
You have so many things going on, that it is hard to concentrate on any one of them, and so you get less productive. The trick is to get yourself back in the sweet spot of the curve where yo...
Reduce your energy
If you’re actively feeling overwhelmed you first need to calm down. Close your eyes for a minute. Focus on breathing deeply. Count your breaths. An alternative is to get a little physical exercise. Take a walk.
The combination of the exercise and the separation from your workspace for a short period of time can help you to get into the zone to get work done.
Focus
Start by finding a high-priority task that you feel you can complete in a short period of time. Clear the decks for action and put away any other distractions.
Now, get to work. If you’re still having trouble concentrating, then just try to get a 5-10 minute burst of activity done. Find the smallest piece of the task that you can accomplish and get that done.
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Identifying What's Truly Important
20% of your activities will account 80% of the results, and vice versa. Start working on the most important tasks, it may be complex or difficult but it holds majority of the outcome.
Neglecting 80/20 = Mental Clutter
Not having clear goals makes it hard to focus well on your priorities at hand. Applying the 80/20 rule will lift that mental clutter and enable you to focus better on your priorities. By merely identifying that this task is a priority, you’ll start to approach it with more impact and intensity.