6 Steps to Eliminate Overwhelm
There’s a lot going on isn’t there? I mean even as you’re reading this, you’re likely trailing off in your mind thinking, “Why am I stopping to read this? I’ve got shit to do.” Well, the good news is you’re not alone, and you’ve come to the right place!
Overwhelm used to CLAIM me (sometimes it still does). As a mom to three busy teenagers, wife, sister, daughter, and entrepreneur there is rarely, if ever a shortage of things to do. Then add to all of that, running and growing a business. Yeah…it’s a lot.
Overwhelm, if you allow it, can leave you completely frozen. Ever said to yourself, “I’ve got so much to do, I don’t even know where to begin”? When this happens, nothing gets done and we continue to feel overwhelmed, which only leads to disappointment in ourselves, stress, and goals not reached. We are not honoring ourselves when we allow overwhelm to take over!
So, I’ve learned to claim my overwhelm BEFORE it claims me. Here’s how:
1. Brain Dump! You know all those to do lists you’ve got running through your head? Dump ‘em out. Meaning, get them out of your head and onto paper. Make a monster list of all of it, in no particular order. Just get it all out of your head.
2. Prioritize. Rate the ACTUAL importance of every item on a scale of 1-3 (1 being super important / non-negotiable, 2 being important but can wait ( and assign a focus day to it), and 3 being come back later). Even better yet, add a 4 – that means – I am no longer interested in this or it is really not important and create a trash list (you’re welcome 😊).
The reason I emphasize “actual” is because many times, our to do’s aren’t exactly the 4-alarm fire we make it out to be in our heads. Often, once we get it down on paper and see it lying before us in print, we’re more able to see that something like sending a retirement gift to your mother’s best friend’s cousin is not a priority.
3. Turn to the Weekly One / Daily Three. Wait, you don’t know this one? If you follow the Weekly One / Daily Three method, you’ll find that doing the work to get to your end goal can be easy, fun and not at all stressful. Who knew?!
A podcast by Natalie Eckdahl of the BizChix podcast talked about this totally awesome approach and I was like, “YES! This totally makes sense.” I follow this approach today and like to share it with my clients and followers. This approach literally takes the screaming “Ahhh” and turns it into a more zenful “Aaaah.”
The Weekly One: Set ONE goal each week that will help move the needle to get you to that one big goal you’ve set for the end of 30/60/90 days or even a year, whatever your timeline may be.
The Daily Three: Set THREE tasks you want to get done each day. These can be little personal things like getting your nails done or setting a doctor’s appointment, or business tasks like paying invoices or having a staff meeting. BUT make sure one of your three tasks is something that will support movement toward your bigger goal. Say goodbye to that ten item daily to do list and hello to feeling damn good when you’ve accomplished a more conservative three.
In the end, yes it’s small movement, but it’s all in support of your bigger goal. You’ll end each day and each week feeling productive and successful with purpose. Stay consistent with this and you’ll be achieving those now not so lofty goals.
4. Talk to a friend / confidant. Talk it out, vent, get it off your chest! In doing so, you get two great benefits. You’ll not only release that frustration you’ve been feeling, you’ll also get feedback from a different perspective. Sometimes just talking it through with someone you trust will help you see the true story of what’s important and what isn’t, releasing the overwhelm that’s taken hold.
5. Pay attention to your body! What is it telling you? We receive warning signs from our body energetically. It’s our job to pay attention to that. Got stomach issues, a kink in your neck, shoulders feel tense, etc.? Your body just might be telling you it’s time to slow down. So, take the time to do something to fill your cup in whatever way feels good to you. Maybe it’s a walk, hike, meditation, watching a favorite show, visiting a friend. Either way, listen to your body and adjust accordingly.
And finally…
6. Say NO! Listen, if an opportunity arises and it’s not a hell yes for you, then it’s a hell no. It’s okay to say no when it’s not in alignment with your wants, needs, or joy. When you say
“hell no” to what doesn’t feel good, that only leaves room for more of the “hell yes’s” that do!
Want to dive deeper into releasing overwhelm while at the same time, taking action toward your big goals? Give a listen to the BOLD Momentum episode of the To the Point Podcast.