Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that you just want to curl up under the covers and never come out? It can be hard to face reality when your to-do list is a hundred tasks long. We live in an era of go, go, go. The apps, immediate access to communication, and high-speed internet… all contribute to this constant feeling of needing to do more. Between work, kids’ school and activities, meal prep and planning, and self-care….it can quickly feel like too much to handle. That’s why I live by these 5 tactics to help me stay on top of it all and not feel like I’m drowning.
Make lists
I live by lists. I make lists for everything, from groceries to holiday planning to weekend activities. Without them, I feel lost, unmotivated, and unproductive. My thoughts end up swirling in my mind and I flit from one thing to the next, never really completing anything. I like to use a free app called Trello. You create boards for each general area like work, meal planning, weekends, holiday planning, etc. Then within each board, you create your lists using cards. These cards can be moved freely between lists on the board. For example, I have a board specific to work. I created lists named To-Do, Backburner, To Discuss, and Done. Each item on my list has its own card. When I complete the task on a card, I’ll move it to Done. If I determine a task needs to wait several weeks or months, I’ll move it to Backburner – just don’t forget to set a reminder to follow up on this in advance of your deadline. It helps me to stay organized and productive, and by moving the cards to the Done list, I have a sense of accomplishment because I can see what I’ve completed.
Schedule breaks
It’s so common to work through lunch or skip a walk because you have so much on your plate. I don’t know how many times I’ve looked at the clock to realize that I haven’t moved from my desk in 3 hours. Suddenly it’s the middle of the afternoon and I haven’t eaten lunch yet! My to-do list is constantly growing and the tasks never really stop piling up. You’ll get more done if you skip breaks to keep checking things off your list, right? Actually, no. This is what leads to overwhelm and a sense of drowning. Believe me, I’m just as guilty of this. Taking regular breaks eases tension, gets the blood flowing, and helps you to reset. I’ve started scheduling breaks on my calendar so I remember to eat, so nobody can interfere, and so I hold myself accountable. I like to go for a 10-minute walk or meditate to clear my mind. Sometimes I’ll even put on some music and dance for a few minutes.
Start with small wins
When your to-do list is 8 pages long, where do you start? Sometimes it’s easy enough to identify the most important or time-sensitive tasks but sometimes they’re all equally important or time-sensitive. In this case, I like to start with the small tasks I can easily check off the list. Something that doesn’t take very long or is less painful to complete. This helps me to stay motivated to keep going and feel like I’m accomplishing things.
Set small goals
When it comes to writing, it’s easy for me to get in my head. My mind will go blank, I’ll start to panic about wasting precious time, and suddenly hours have gone by and I’ve completed nothing. When I’m feeling this lack of motivation, I’ll set small, easily attainable goals. I’ll set a timer for 10 minutes, an hour, or whatever I feel at the moment is achievable. Having that timer forces me to sit down and focus. Sometimes I’ll reach for my phone out of distraction or boredom, see that timer, and quickly set my phone back down to keep working. This has proven to work for me time and time again. It may not always be as productive as the rare days where I simply am not lacking motivation but for the days that I am, I’ve been able to get more done than if I had allowed myself to succumb to the distractions.
Plan ahead
I don’t know about you, but when something well into the future is added to my calendar, I’ll immediately put it out of my mind to focus on the immediate tasks I need to take care of. Before I know it, that agenda from two months ahead is suddenly a week away and I’ve thought nothing about it. Now it’s become an urgent matter I need to deal with and I’m feeling stressed. Taking the time to plan for that event or deadline helps me to feel a sense of control and be less reactive. When I first learn of this deadline, I’ll add it to my to-do list or Backburner list in Trello and set reminders to follow up well in advance of the deadline. Creating a timeline helps, too. I’ll work backward from the date and set small goals to accomplish so the entirety of the event doesn’t feel overwhelming and gives me plenty of time to complete.
The next time you’re feeling like hiding from your ever-growing list of things to do, try one or all of these tried-and-true tactics. What methods do you use to stay on top of everything and get shit done?
