Deepstash

Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

Start with a clean plate
If your plate were completely clean, with limited space, what would you put on it today? Once you’ve figured that out, you know what belongs on your plate. Constantly look at invitations and activities and requests and tasks that pop up, and ask: “Is this one of the things I would choose to put on my clean plate?”
How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (by Everything on Your Plate)
Learn to say “NO”
Feeling like you’re doing busywork is often the result of saying yes too often. We have to let go of this idea of doing everything and pleasing everyone and being everywhere at once. Properly manage your yeses. So stop saying “yes” when you want to say “no.” Sometimes you have to set clear boundaries.
How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (by Everything on Your Plate)
3 Core things
Focus on no more than three core things every day. Wake up every morning and figure out what the most important two or three things are for the day, and cut out the rest. Give each some allotted time instead of switching tasks.
How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (by Everything on Your Plate)
Overcome the tyranny of the present
People who are always "in the moment" don't look ahead and make plans to pursue their goals and dreams. There are things you need to do every day, much of what you think you need to do isn't particularly important--especially where your long-term goals are concerned.
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
Eliminate "nice to do" tasks
Ask, Is this really necessary? Do you need to have that meeting? In many cases, you don't, but you do anyway simply because that's what you've always done. Eliminate as many "nice to do" tasks as possible - you'll have more time to be effective where it really matters.
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
Reprioritize
Sometimes the answer to "Is this really necessary?" is "Yes, but not right now." What is the most important thing you need to do today? Reset your calendar and reprioritize. Getting stuff done is fine, but getting the right stuff done is what really matters.
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
Understand your operating rhythm
We all work differently. Some like to hit the ground running. Others like to start the day by reflecting, meditating, and thinking. Some like to work into the night. Understand how you like to work and how you work best. Do some experiments to figure out what works best for you.
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
The important tasks come first
What are your priorities for the month? The week? Today? Determine what they are and do those things first. Why would you work on less important tasks when the truly important items are where you create the most value--whether for your business or your life?
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
Time for unconscious thought
Research shows people tend to make their best decisions when they have an opportunity to review the data and facts and then focus their thought on something else for a while. How? Take a walk. Do a mindless chore. Exercise. Do something where your body goes on autopilot and your mind does too.
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
Set boundaries
No one can or should be on 24/7. Yet you probably feel you are--because you allow yourself to be. Set some boundaries: the time you'll stop working, certain times you'll do things with your family, certain times you won't take calls, etc. Then let people know those boundaries.
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
Be strategic with "yes" and "no"
Sometimes you simply need to say no. Other times you can say, "No, unless..." and add stipulations. The same is true with yes: Saying, "Yes, but only if..." creates guidelines. Always consider the effect of a request on your most important goals. An automatic yes also automatically takes time away from what you need to get done.
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
Tame your distractions
Most people are distracted over 30 times an hour: phone calls, emails, texts, office drop-ins... The list is endless. Schedule blocks of time when you'll turn off alerts. The only way to stay on schedule is to work on your own schedule--not on that of other people.
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
Remember your impact
If you're a leader you naturally impact other people. You set a direction. You set a standard. Be a great role model: a person who gets important tasks done, who stays on point, who focuses on achieving goals and dreams ... and who helps other people achieve their goals and dreams.
10 Ways to Stop Feeling Overworked and Overwhelmed
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.
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
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?
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
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?
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
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?
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
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.
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?
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
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.
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
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.
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
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.
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
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.
How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed (For Good)
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 you are working at your peak.
How to stop feeling so overwhelmed at work
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 .
How to stop feeling so overwhelmed at work
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.
How to stop feeling so overwhelmed at work
Offload, if necessary
If you find that you’re being given new things to do at a faster rate than you can possibly complete them, then it is time to sit down with your supervisor and talk. There may be easier ways to do things. Checking in about the workload might allow you to negotiate which tasks are going to be your responsibilities, and which ones can be given to someone else.
How to stop feeling so overwhelmed at work
Limit the time spent reading news
“Headline anxiety” is a growing problem. One way to reduce the impact of the non-stop news cycle is to use screen-time trackers, available for most smartphones, to limit the time you spend reading or watching the news on your mobile.
Five ways to stop feeling overwhelmed by the news
Turn off push notifications
If the urge to scroll is too strong to resist, then at least turning off your push notifications from news apps can stop you from being assailed with breaking events.
Five ways to stop feeling overwhelmed by the news
Read the good news
If we focus on the bigger picture, such as the proportion of people living in extreme poverty halving in the past 20 years, it may be easier to remain optimistic. Seek another perspective. If you hear about something terrible, ask yourself: "if there had been a positive improvement, would I have heard about that?”
Five ways to stop feeling overwhelmed by the news
Prioritize trusted news sources
It is now well known that social media can magnify the significance of fake news. Find your news instead, then, through verified and trusted publications.
Five ways to stop feeling overwhelmed by the news
No news before bed
Research has shown that screen use before bed resets our internal clock and disrupts sleep, so reading the news onscreen before bed can make your mornings even more anxious and tiring. Even if we’ve read anxiety-inducing news during the day, sleep can restore us.
Five ways to stop feeling overwhelmed by the news