I have way too much in my head and nothing is getting done!
After getting engaged, married and honeymooning in less than a year, work took a back seat. It has been awesome but now there is stuff to do everywhere. Gardens, emails, clients, banking, exercise, new projects, washing, family catch ups, friend catch ups and everyone seems to have a question I don’t know the answer to.
The bigger issue is the emotion that comes with it. Angst. Guilt. Worry. Cringe. Overwhelm. Frustration. Heaviness. I feel like I disappoint people in every direction.
Fortunately I have been here before and have learnt my way out. Logic says you make a list and start ticking stuff off, but I have never found that helps to address overwhelm. Sure you do a few things but the list is still full. No; overwhelm is an issue of perspective. Most the things that overwhelm us don’t matter. The truth is they are ideal things we would like to exist, in an unrealistic time frame. So I have learnt 3 things:
- Overwhelm is a very self absorbed emotion that is most rapidly dissolved when instead of doing one of the things on your own list, you do an item on someone else’s. Yep, it defies all logic but try it once and you will have a rapid change in your emotion. Suddenly you see the world differently. At first you will be grumpy and agitated when you help; venting that you don’t really have time to do this. However by the end, when you see the relief you bring another, your mood will shift too, and in the shift you se your own word with clarity.
- When your mood shifts, do not go back to your to-do list; that is how you got overwhelmed in the first place. Instead look at your time line. Not everything needs to be done today. Allocated tasks to days, evenings and weekends so that when you are doing one task, you are not freaking out about another task not getting done. If it is scheduled, it doesn’t consume your head.
- There is always one thing that if done now, takes more pressure off you than any of the other tasks would. Usually because other people need it done and if you do it, you stop loads of questions. That is the one to do first.
Now of course, there is more I could write on this. I could detail how I go about each point and expand on situational strategies… but more than three is overwhelming. And I wouldn’t want to overwhelm you.
Enjoy a comprehensive injection of energy and strategy at Mark’s free event this November 26th. It’s open to his immediate network and readers, to celebrate his 25,years presenting performance strategies. www.dobbo.com.au/event
Link: Blog on ‘Getting Your Time (Life) Back’
Link: Blog on ‘Use Your Diary To Measure Your Life’
Link: Blog on ‘Public Speaking’