Feeling Overwhelmed All the Time in Work and Life?
I was leading a teleconference recently with twenty-five interesting, diverse, corporate professionals. The hot subject up for discussion was how they were feeling overwhelmed all the time — beat, tired, and burned-out were the themes. Mostly due to the “too much to do/can’t stop now/super busy” syndrome.
Are you Feeling Overwhelmed All the Time Because You Can’t Seem to Stop “Doing?”
I have yet to meet anyone who hasn’t felt overwhelmed from time to time. Since it tends to feel uncomfortable, if not downright unpleasant, we tend to view it as negative and as a weakness. We don’t dare to admit we are overwhelmed or dare to talk about it, which can leave us feeling isolated and alone, further exacerbating the feeling. We often deny we are overwhelmed because we do not know how to stop the frenetic behavior that leads to this feeling. So, we do nothing. Our employers, colleagues or friends often do not help support us to stop overworking — or if they do, we don’t listen.
Why Prevent Ourselves From Feeling Overwhelmed All the Time?
Primarily, this syndrome occurs in our work-life but it can carry over to our personal and family life, and it frequently does. Focusing on projects often begins with good intentions but we can quickly and easily be overwhelmed if we do not have a plan to minimize and balance our work.
Getting the project finalized for your team, writing the plan for your next project, designing the new team structure or completing the 90-day new year launch plan are extremely important – but having a balanced, health life is equally important.
This Stressful Pattern of Feeling Overwhelmed All the Time is Nudging You to Change Your Life
Once you get this message, it is easier to identify the steps you need to take to shift out of the behavior quickly.
Following are helpful strategies gleaned from my personal experience and from my work with coaching clients who are burned out, growing cranky, frustrated and even depressed. These strategies immediately diminish feelings of being overwhelmed so you can refocus and make some life-work balance decisions.
Stop what you are doing for a few minutes and take a break. Go for a short walk, sit outside under a tree, meditate, breathe deeply, go to a movie, call a friend to have coffee and share what is going on.
Get a piece of paper and make two columns. In one column, list urgent things you need to do this week. In the other column, list those projects that you can delegate, hire or barter to be done.
Eliminate, eliminate, eliminate. Unsubscribe to unnecessary e-mail, organize your desk and office to decrease clutter, stop attending meetings, get off committees and decrease volunteering at fundraisers unless you have a total passion for the organization and the cause.
Do not spend time with people whom you do not like. Assess your friends and business colleagues. Do they support and honor who you are? If they are negative and don’t share your vision for your dreams, don’t spend another minute with them.
Decide what is most important in your life. If you want a balanced life, you will have to make changes in your life to allow this to happen. That takes some time and planning but it will be well worth the improvement in your life!
Take an action step today to make change in your life! Call a friend who will support you, take a class to get organized, or work with a coach who will support and motivate you to have a more balanced life.
How to Get Support
If you’re looking for help to stop feeling overwhelmed all the time, click on the “Work With Vanessa” link to find out how I can help you.