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What causes overwhelm? |
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 Do you think the woman to the left is looking for inspiration to manage her overwhelm?! Hope you find some in this bulletin!
The dictionary defines overwhelm as "to defeat completely, to load with too great an amount, make helpless." Rather aptly the word overwhelm is next to over work in the dictionary!
Overwhelm is annoying because paradoxically, just when you need to be more efficient, you become less efficient so the key is to catch it early and have strategies to handle it.
A bit like procrastination, overwhelm's sibling, it is complex and multifaceted and self-awareness helps you to deal with it and trying different tactics.
I have an "ideas and insights" mind and with a strategy background, I can create infinite opportunities and tasks. One simple thing that has worked wonders for me is segmenting lists and files into smaller sub segments. This doesn't reduce the amount to do, it just feels like it does! What works for you?
Read on for 5 FREE tips to manage overwhelm and more insights about its causes.
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5 FREE tips to manage overwhelm |
Below are 5 free tips to help you manage overwhelm:
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Start with the outcome first and then work back
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Define the importance and urgency of your tasks
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Don't skip lunch and do take 5 minute breaks - they will make you more efficient
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Identify one small step and take it, then you feel good and take the next small step
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Switch off your computer or work in a different place to your desk when you have a deadline
Read on for more insights about the causes of overwhelm.
For a FREE article about Managing procrastination, please click on this link. It took ages for us to get around to write this topic, but we got there eventually! Managing Procrastination |
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More insights about overwhelm |
There are many causes of overwhelm; having too much to do; feeling stressed and tired; feeling under pressure at work and at home; not being given clear priorities; having conflicting demands on your time e.g. 2 bosses; not feeling you have the knowledge or skill to do the task required; self doubt; lack of support; unclear goals or deadlines; having too much to do for one person; undefined boundaries between roles; perfectionism; technology speeding up communication and decision making and many more!
Knowing yourself and what is creating your overwhelm is the first step to changing it.
I remember feeling hugely overwhelmed at one point last year and I couldn't even face looking at all the files laid out that I needed to attend to. I was so overwhelmed I threw my car keys away by mistake and didn't realise I had! (yes I did have just the one key and had to get a new one from Germany at a high cost - never again!)
For me, in that moment, the best thing to do was to clear all the files out of sight, close the door of my office and go and make some handmade cards for 30 minutes. It did the trick and then I took one file only, kept the others out of sight and started tackling what I needed to do, felt less overwhelmed and then became productive and felt less stressed again. |
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Wishing you happiness and productivity.
 Kind regards,
Rachel Brushfield, Director
Energise - liberate your talent
The Talent Liberation Company
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