With the summer winding down and the school season ramping up (um, how?!?), it can be easy to feel you have no choice but to jump right back into the whirlwind of overwhelm and forget how to get things accomplished. Professionals from all levels and industries know the obsessive grind that often comes this time of year.
So how do you avoid succumbing to the ever-present demands of your day and actually do what needs to be done?
Here are seven doable steps you can follow to conquer overwhelm this fall:
1. Focus On Doing The Next Right Thing
- My mom drilled this into me my whole life, and I’m more than thankful for it. She said, “You’re #1 responsibility is to tackle the next right thing“, which often doesn’t line up with the loudest thing or the most on-fire thing.
- Having trouble deciphering what the next right thing actually is? Focus on what’s going to move the needle most, what contributes to fulfilling promises, and what upholds your character/commitments most. When you choose to devote yourself to the next right thing, you’ll be amazed how many “right” things you can accomplish in one day’s time!
2. Silence Any Unnecessary Notifications
- Instead of being constantly bombarded with dings, pings, and rings, keep push notifications to a minimum on both your phone and computer! Your brain knows what needs to be checked and when is the best time to do it, so don’t bog your day down with never-ending, unnecessary chatter. Protect your peace and watch some magic happen!
- Pro tip: If you can get away with having your phone on silent, do yourself a favor and flip that switch! You can always change your settings to allow notifications to come through for the most essential people in your life if that’s what’s holding you back. Contrary to modern belief, voicemails are still a thing and call backs are totally acceptable.
3. Get (And Stay) Organized
- This step may be the most personalized of all. When it comes to organization, the trick is to define what organizational system works for you AND THEN STICK TO IT!
- I’m an empty inbox girl myself, using folders, pins, and flags to organize as soon as emails roll through. But, you may thrive off of unopened messages until you can tackle them head on. Tabs? I close them ASAP. But you may love feeling like you’re looking into Mary Poppin’s bag every time you open your browser. Desktop? Mine has to be clear for me to function, but yours may be a beautiful catch-all.
- The real beauty here is there is no RIGHT way to organize your work or even your life. You do you, just be disciplined in sticking to what actually delivers results.
4. Move Your Body
- I saw a reel at the beginning of the year that spoke directly to my soul. It reminded me that I can’t take care of my responsibilities if I’m not taking care of myself. My body (and I’m pretty sure yours too) needs to do things like see the sun, be challenged, and be fed well.
- More times than not, I am sitting behind a computer eight hours every weekday. Our bodies were not made for that, plain and simple. So, give yourself a few healthy outlets to combat the impending back issues, sore backsides, and brain fog that too often accompany corporate life.
5. Curate Your Space
- I think the overall vibe of our space affects each of us more than we even know. Colors, lighting, decorations, cleanliness, distractions, noises, and overall comfort contribute toward experiencing overwhelm or peace. Don’t underestimate your workspace; I consider it the conduit for thoughtful productivity nine times out of ten.
6. Believe Margin Is Essential, And Protect It At All Cost
- Here’s the hard truth: margin is necessary and one of the top defenders against overwhelm! We’re simply not our best selves – or producing our best work – when we can’t take a brain break, run to the restroom or eat lunch without feeling guilty or behind during the workday.
- I can’t speak for all professions here, but like my previous supervisor used to point out, for most of us, our to-do lists aren’t saving lives. Don’t put that level of pressure on yourself for no reason! I’m not saying you shouldn’t give a flip about your job… I’m just saying if it’s stealing your soul and setting you up for failure with every new meeting invite, it may be time set some (here comes the “b” word) BOUNDARIES.
- This may mean you need to be the one to ask for one meeting to move so you have some brain space to digest the information from the meeting that just ended. Or you may need to have a non-negotiable blocked-off break in your calendar where the computer and the phone stay behind so you can truly breathe. Or you may have to have some honest conversations with your supervisor about your workload and expectations.
7. Have One EOD Activity You Look Forward To
- It always helps me to have one thing I am looking forward to experiencing at the end of every work day. That thing can vary greatly from dinner with a friend, vegging on the couch with Gilmore Girls, or hitting golf balls on the driving range. Find whatever it is that when you think about it will help you get a second wind in the middle of the grind!
These seven tips aren’t all-encompassing combatants to overwhelm by any means, but they could be what you need to kickstart your busy season into a healthy, maintainable rhythm! You and overwhelm do not need to be synonyms of each other this go-around. I am cheering loud and proud for YOU!
Interested in how to conquer MARKETING overwhelm, specifically? We’ll be releasing a part two soon to help you prioritize those tasks that will move the needle for your brand, so stay tuned.