There’s too much work to do and not enough time. It’s one of the common complaints by an overwhelmed person. Maybe, you find yourself in the same plight often.
What does being overwhelmed mean?
It describes a situation when something or someone is too much for a person to manage. Swamped, engulfed and flooded are some of the word’s synonyms.
By the way, this isn’t about positive things people can be overwhelmed with. Joy, excitement and love are a few examples.
I’ll focus more on jobs because many people feel they’re working harder to keep up or remain productive. They’re mentally tired, irritable, stressed and restless at night. Most probably, they’re feeling overwhelmed.
How to Deal with Feeling Overwhelmed
Don’t fret if you’re one of them. There are ways to deal with it and here are some.
Set aside some quiet time.
Staying at your office is not a good idea unless you can lock the door to your room. There are too many distractions. Instead, take a short walk or find a relaxing spot outdoors. A 10-minute walk or a quick change in scenery will do wonders for your mind and body.
Don’t think about the tasks at hand. Instead, enjoy your surroundings. Take deep breaths. It’s a short respite, but it’s a break that benefits you.
Assess your situation.
When you begin the day, you already know what is in store. The tasks, meetings, return calls, etc. So, what was the thing that made you feel overwhelmed? Was it a conversation, call, message or e-mail?
Finding that moment when you suddenly felt swamped might give you a better appreciation of your situation. For example, an additional task was given to you. After your quiet time, you might realize it isn’t really sizable as you first thought.
Review your to-do list.
What needs to be done today? Prioritize tasks that need to be accomplished now. Focus on these alone. Stop thinking about jobs that you will work on tomorrow.
When you’re finished with your current tasks, work on those that need to be done in the future. Lessen your workload so you’ll never feel overwhelmed.
Lastly, avoid procrastination. Doing things right before deadlines is a sure recipe for being overwhelmed.
Delegate tasks.
You probably heard of this – “If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.” This is not true all the time unless you’re a one-man show.
Also, many people are perfectionists who would do everything rather than assign some of them to others. They don’t trust their colleagues to do a good job.
Try to let go and give your colleagues a chance. Your time might be spent better on tasks that require your skills.
Stay positive.
Maybe your boss assigns you more jobs because you’re the most reliable person in your organization. Have you thought about this?
Also, you might feel overwhelmed because you have a negative view of things. Try changing your perspective. Think of your situation as something that will make you better. Always look for that silver lining.
English (Australia)