What do you get overwhelmed by? Too much housework? Behind on paperwork at your job? Bills behind? Here, I've outlined some general suggestions for managing your negative feelings while getting things done.
- Get started! That is the first step that will make any of these other suggestions work. The stuff that is piled up is not going to get done by stressing, worrying, or hiding under the covers.
- Break large tasks into smaller ones. For instance, if you have a lot of housework to do, break the tasks up. Clean for 10 or 15 minute spurts, then rest for a few minutes, clean again. I tell people: if you only wash one dish every hour, if a little while, you'll get them all done.
- Stay away from multitasking - if you are focused on too many things at one time, you will start to feel overwhelmed more easily.
- Get some help. This is perhaps the most difficult for people to accept. The reality is that we all need help from time to time. Someone else may have better skills in a particular area - get their help with it (and don't forget to say thank you!)
- Prioritize. That big stack of paperwork on your desk probably doesn't all need to be done at one time. Sort through things and make a list of the most important and do those first.
- Work at the time of day that you feel your best. If you are a morning person and generally feel your best at that time, get up and get started on these things. Or maybe you prefer the evening time (just don't vacuum when everyone else is asleep!)
- Rest when you need to. No matter what you're doing, you are going to get tired at some point. Take a rest every now and then, a few minutes at a time, then get back to work.
The important thing to remember is that as long as you are working toward getting that task done, the task will get done eventually. Once you have it done, put your focus on keeping it caught up.
How do you deal with feeling overwhelmed?
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