This last week I was feeling the overwhelm. Overwhelm of work, overwhelm of social engagements, overwhelm of expectations I am putting on myself. Maybe it was something in the air that day because it seems everyone I bumped into – clients, friends, people on my Facebook feed were also having “that” day.
I feel December, regardless of what holidays you chose to celebrate or not, is just busy. It reminds me of how it felt to be in school – high school or college – remember the end of the semester or the end of the school year? It was cramming time to fit in all the things. I feel that’s December for us – holidays, end of year, social gatherings, high expectations and more. Phew that’s exhausting to just think about.
If you feel that, know you are not alone. As I sat in a coaching strategy session with some of my business mentors, I was reminded of some great tips. Some of these tips they kindly reminded me and now that I have centered myself a bit, I have some to add as well. I hope these can you help in any time of experiencing the overwhelm.
First take a deep breath.
Grab a notepad or piece of paper and pen. Next write down everything you have going on that you have to deal with.
Then write down the order in which these tasks need to be handled.
Review is there any tasks on your list that can just be postponed until … fill in the blank… next year? Whenever? If so, put them on a different list for when life is a little less hectic.
Are there tasks you can delegate? If so, do it!
For the remaining tasks, can you group any together to make yourself more efficient?
Are they any tasks or events you can just let go of? Don’t feel guilty.
Everyday just try to handle perhaps 3 things a day. If you get done with those and still feel you have the energy and time to do more- then continue on with your longer list. Having just three things on your list can feel much less daunting and more achievable.
If I can also recommend at this time, be sure to do all or some of these tips and you will feel so much better.
Let go of perfection. Do your best. We are humans. Give yourself grace.
Allow time for rest.
Drink a lot of water and healthy meals.
Meditate, read for fun, and escape the chaos in our busy minds.
Get outside in nature and make exercise a priority.
Have good boundaries.
I know some of you are thinking I don’t even have time to make the list. I can tell you that speeding through life feels much more anxiety driven than just slowing down and sorting it out. By slowing down you can come up a thought-out game plan and be less stressed in the process. I hope you find these tips helpful and useful. We are in the home stretch of the year and you are to enjoy it – not just buzz through it.
