How To Deal With Overwhelm – Part One

Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t

When you are overwhelmed by having too much to do it is easy to get distressed about other activities that you would love to do but just can’t get around to. Maybe you are very busy at work but you would like to spend some time on your own project such doing something creative or finding time for a hobby.  Or maybe you have a lot of commitments this week and are panicking about how you will get enough time to exercise or see your family.

When this happens it is easy to focus on and get upset about what you can’t get done.  You find yourself thinking or saying stuff like “I’d love to do that but I can’t because I haven’t got time” or “I really wish I could write more this week but I can’t because I haven’t got time”. Instead of getting stuck in the “not enough time = I can’t” pattern it is easier to think of what you can do.

OK, so you might not have enough time to commit to a weekly yoga class but you can do a few minutes of stretching when you get home from work before you start cooking dinner.  Although you would love to write up a business plan for your new product ideas your client commitments mean that you can only write out some skeleton points but at least you can complete these in more detail in small chunks of time between appointments.

When you switch to an “I can” mindset from “I can’t” you will start to find little windows of time where you can do quick productive tasks. Even though it may not be as pleasing as having great swathes of time to do your project exactly as you wish, it is better to make progress in small increments albeit at a slower pace rather than get stressed and miserable at what doesn’t seem to be possible.

How To Deal With Overwhelm – Part Two

How To Deal With Overwhelm – Part Three