In my coaching practice, I often hear clients say they feel “paralyzed” or “overwhelmed” due to work obligations. There are many consequences of feeling overwhelmed, including feeling like we cannot take purposeful action anymore. When we stop taking care of our work, our work stops taking care of us. And so, the vicious cycle of procrastination begins. The shame and embarrassment about not being able to do even the simplest things on our to-do lists keep us stuck in that deep procrastination hole.
How do we keep ourselves from feeling overwhelmed all of the time?
There are actually a number of steps we can take to pull ourselves out of the feeling of being overwhelmed and to put us back into healthy, productive action. Here is a quick list of a few actions that you can do today:
- Simplify. When we put things off, we also create pile-ups of stuff, tasks, and undone items. Start to process your to-dos differently. Instead of seeing them as one big growing mass, start to define what is the ONE thing that you can do next. Then do that.
- Focus. Once you have your ONE task to face, apply your best focus. Eliminate any distractions that might interfere with your clearest focus. Understand that your mind and body are built to help you focus and to achieve what you wish to achieve. Don’t sabotage your mind and body with negative or self-critical thoughts.
- Drop the perfection. Our desire to make everything “just right” or “ideal” often gets in the way of our getting anything done at all. Instead of aiming for gleaming perfection, aim for just good enough and done. You’ll have much more time to enjoy when you do.
- Stop searching for more options. Sometimes we hold ourselves back by wanting to have all the options available. It is a nice thought, but it’s kind of like going to the diner and ordering EVERYTHING ON THE MENU. It just doesn’t work. We need to choose and to select things quickly and confidently in order to get things done.
- Work when you are most productive. Procrastinators often make the mistake of believing that every minute holds the potential for productivity. We are not built for non-stop productivity, so we should stop acting as if we were. Learn the rhythms and cycles of your energy, mood, and attention and then plan your work for those periods when you feel at your best. Use the other periods to rest and to recharge.
- Limit your availability. My husband recently gave me a Post-It note with this quote from Joe Phillips on it: “If you want to get things done, you can’t always be available.” It’s the truth, and I have a feeling we all need to be reminded of it sometimes.
You have all that you need inside of you to make the move away from being and feeling overwhelmed. Believe in yourself, treat yourself kindly, and handle your to-dos simply, quickly, and without drama and dread. Procrastination is never the best option when it comes to coping skills. Rediscover the joy of being active, productive, and engaged once you eliminate procrastination from your life!
Feeling inspired to get into action? I've put 13 of my favorite free resources together for you to help you get started in a clear, organized, and focused way. Enjoy the power of progress today!
And…here's the link to my Free Resource Library.
