The Secret To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed!

‘Tis the season for overwhelm and the never ending to-do list am I right? As I type this I am staring a a to-do list that is long, and my mind is rolling through another mental list of things that I “can’t forget to do”, or need to remember to add to another list. I bet that this scenario sounds all too familiar right?

In a day and age when there is so much distraction and so much to keep track of, it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed and unsure about where to start. The first tip is to grab some paper or the notes app on your phone and do a brain dump. Getting all of those things out of your head and onto paper will be a huge relief. Sometimes the list of to-do’s seems so much longer in our head! The second step is to prioritize your top three “must do’s”. These are things that are the most important. I like to color code mine to red (most important), yellow (important), and green (happy if these get done). This color coding is a way to signal to my brain where my priorities need to be. Tackle your red project task first, then move to yellow, and then finally to green.

As you examine your brain dump list, ask yourself if you can eliminate anything that may not be truly necessary at this moment. Can you assign it to a date in the future when things are not as hectic? Can you offload that task to someone else? Can you tap intro resources around you? I recently have been utilizing my teenage daughter to run errands and pick-up groceries for me, and it has been a huge time saver! Can you say no to anything on your list? Saying no/off loading tasks can also be a huge stress reliever!

Once your get your brain dump complete, then you will want to look at your list and divide it up into 3 mini lists. The first is FOCUSED. Focused work are things that you need to give your full attention, preferably with zero distractions. The second list will be DISTRACTED. These tasks can be done easily without much thought, and are tasks that you can easily return to if you are interrupted. The last are MINDLESS tasks. These tasks are truly the only part of your to-do list that affords itself to multi-tasking! You can do these tasks without much thought - think cooking, laundry, cleaning, etc.

The final step is to look at your day and decide where you can plug in each of these areas. Are you sharper and more alert in the morning? Plug in your FOCUSED work for the early morning before anyone is awake. Are you more of a night owl? Do your focused work then!

Taking just a few minutes at the end of the day to make your list for the following day, to decide on your BIG 3, and then set your FOCUSED, DISTRACTED, and MINDLESS tasks will help you feel more in control and you will actually get so much more done, freeing up precious time to spend doing what you love! Setting yourself up for success is the key to stop overwhelm!

Let me know in the comments below which tip you are ready to try!

Be safe, & be well!

XO,

Stephanie