What do you do if you're feeling overwhelmed and struggling to manage your workload effectively?

- First is to accept that none of us is perfect, and everything happening can be changed if one has a willing spirit to work on it. - It's also normal to feel overwhelmed sometimes and accepting your current state can help you approach the situation more calmly. - Make a list of all your tasks, projects, and deadlines. This way, you can see things clearly and prioritize effectively.

There are times when I feel absolutely overwhelmed with too many things on my plate, of course these kind of stressors are good to have as they motivate you to become better, but there's a thin line between stress & distress. And whenever I feel burnout, here's what I do; 1: Take a break: its imperative to not indulge into any activity that require my cognitive inputs, I stay away from scrolling, reading, working, but write if I feel like, as it is cathartic for me, helps me release feelings of overwhelm. 2: Assess the root cause, priorities the tasks based on urgency & importance. And delegate tasks that doesn't require your expertise. 3: Practise self care in order to bounce back with more energy levels & resilience.

Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix is a great model to streamline your workflow. This model categorizes tasks based on their urgency and importance, helping you prioritize and allocate your time and resources more efficiently. Follow these 4 steps List -->Categorize -->Schedule -->Review & Adjust Categorize 1. Urgent and Important - focus on these first and complete on priority. 2. Important, but Not Urgent - Allocate specific time slots in your schedule to work on these tasks after Category 1. Prevent them from becoming urgent in the future. 3. Urgent, but Not Important - try to delegate or automate these. 4. Not Urgent and Not Important - simply eliminate.

Identifying the sources of your overwhelm is a crucial step in effectively managing your workload - Workload volume - Lack of clarity or direction - Skill gaps or inadequate resources - Poor time management - Lack of boundaries - Emotional factors (stress, anxiety, perfectionism) depending on the reason you can use different strategies

1) Complete 1 task at a time (it is OK not to feel compelled to multi-task) 2) Ask for help 3) Walk away and take a break 4) Break up the tasks into smaller doable components 5) Stop beating yourself up 6) See if ou can get an extension if necessary

This can happen to all of us Accept the reality Take a break, then have a good look at all the tasks on hand, See what can be delighted, Check for tasks where you need others to help you Focus on tasks that need your immediate attention Be focused and mindful of what you are doing Take short breaks regularly Allocate time only to check how delegated work is progressing and see if you have got the help required

Setting realistic and specific goals provides clarity on what needs to be accomplished, allowing individuals to focus their time and energy on tasks that align with their objectives. This clarity helps prevent distractions and reduces the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty.Motivation and Progress:Realistic goals that are broken down into specific tasks provide a sense of accomplishment as progress is made. Each completed task serves as a milestone, motivating individuals to continue working towards their goals despite challenges or setbacks.Time Management:Specific goals help individuals allocate their time more effectively, ensuring that tasks are prioritized based on their importance and urgency.

A life coach who is struggling to not feel overwhelmed by workload should set SMART goals. More often than not, when an individual is struggling with too much workload, it is a sign that he is probably overworking himself. Hence, one has to set realistic goals that can easily be attained.

I use the (D)-(R)-(S)-(P) approach by scheduling tasks in order of priority in terms of importance and value. (D) -stands for dusts.These are tasks that are least important and least valuable. (R)- Stands for Rocks.The most important and most valuable. (S)- stands for sand.These are somewhat least important and somewhat least important but above dusts. (P) - stands for pebbles.These are slightly more important than sands and much more valuable than dusts. The key is to keep watching all the (D)-(R)-(S)-(P)'s because either could shift in order of priority.The catch is to schedule and attend to the most important and most valuable (R) priorities first and execute them consistently to closure.

Planning and scheduling provide a structured framework for managing tasks and responsibilities. By breaking down work into manageable chunks and assigning specific time slots for their completion, individuals create a roadmap for success, reducing the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks.Time Management:Effective planning allows individuals to allocate time more efficiently, ensuring that important tasks are given priority and completed in a timely manner. By scheduling work in advance, individuals can avoid last-minute rushes and better balance competing demands on their time.

When there are many tasks coming your way, it can be easy to label them as all important and try to get them done, but that's not sustainable. The hard work is focusing on the most important stuff. It is best to prioritize and plan the things in order of importance so you can create that focus. Using a time management matrix is helpful to categorize the work appropriately so you can take care of the boulders first and not waste time in the sand. Also, when planning, leave room for interruptions so they don't add to the overwhelm. At the end of the week, see where you are and what you completed, then set a game plan for the next week.

My way to practise it is to do revision: day, week, month, quarter, year in which I write: - my goals - the actions to take - the leverage, the action that will give the most important return Win your day will lead you to win your week, taht will lead you to win the month and your year! To your success!

When there is adequate planning and preparation, everything becomes easier and attainable. Individuals who intend to attain their task without feeling overwhelmed should put in the effort to plan to meet the deadline. One can decide to do one's task at a time of the day when one will be more productive and filled with energy.

Time blocking is highly effective for me. I allocate specific time slots on my calendar for tasks to accomplish each day. This helps me prioritize and tackle my responsibilities more efficiently. This yields two significant benefits: 1. It enables me to concentrate fully on one task at a time, enhancing my productivity. 2. It fosters mindfulness, allowing me to be present to the task at hand. Research confirms that multitasking strains the mind, diminishing cognitive performance and slowing down executive functions. By dedicating focused time to individual tasks, productivity is optimized while minimizing mental fatigue. This concentrated effort leads to quicker task completion, affording me more time to devote to other activities.

Set Boundaries- If your overwhelm is due to taking on too much, learn to say no to new tasks or responsibilities that exceed your capacity. Setting boundaries is crucial for long-term management of stress.

To be focused you can use the pomodoro technique: 4 blocks of 30 minutes deep work with 5 minutes break between the blocks. Then have a 15 minutes pause and come back with 4 blocks

Attempting to multitask, will make one to achieve so little. Any individual who intend to be more productive, should not multitask. The human brain is not designed to handle multiple activities at the same time. Apart from the fact that it ends up making one to do so little, multitasking also increases our chances of getting fatigued.

Feeling overwhelmed and struggling with your workload? It's crucial to focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking might seem efficient, but it often leads to half-completed tasks and increased stress. By dedicating your attention to a single task, you'll find that you're able to complete it more effectively and with higher quality. Start by choosing the most pressing task, or the one that's causing you the most stress, and give it your full focus. Break it down into smaller steps if needed. This approach not only helps in making progress but also in reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed. Each task completed is a step towards managing your workload better, making room for a sense of achievement and reducing stress bit by bit.

This is one of the most important points. When we're feeling overwhelmed, the prefrontal cortex (the cognitive-thinking part) of the brain shuts down. The stress chemicals (like adrenaline and cortisol) that cause negative emotions like overwhelm - cause blood to drain from that part of the brain. This means that whenever we're feeling any negative emotion, we don't have access to the part of our brain we need, to strategize, organize, and all other higher forms of thinking. This exacerbates the overwhelm. When we're feeling good, the "feel-good" chemicals that are produced (like adrenaline and cortisol) allow blood to return to that part of the brain - which means we're then able to think more clearly, and therefore able to cope better.

Taking breaks at intervals, also helps one to become more productive. When people take breaks to rejuvenate their energy, it helps them to become effective at their tasks. Individuals need to embrace self-care, to make the tasks at hand go easily to accomplish.

Overwhelm can be killed by taking regular and strategic breaks Breaks dont have to be too long Even 1 minute long belly breath session counts Change the narrative around taking break as time away from work These mini selfcare sessions can add time - let me explain when you take regular breaks - you increase your productivity and creativity leading to efficient use of time in other words you l be able to achieve more in less time because all your faculties are in form. Some ideas for mini breaks : - 10 min walk around the block/office building - 5 min breathing excercise (secret : all top performers have a ritual to help ground them before any major event) - Quick chat with a buddy - 5 min crossword / any game you can play

To be honest, we are still all recovering from COVID and whatever happened during those times. If we were in different times, I would say practicing self-care is a must while keeping an eye on the person's daily tasks. However, I am quite an avid (post-COVID) of breaks. It's not easy.

My first-hand experience managing an overwhelming workload. Set clear boundaries; sometimes, we say yes to everything without having enough space on our plate. Therefore, you must prioritize your work by communicating with your direct report and delegating to your team members. And you can ask for help ?? Life is short, and you don't want to end up in a hospital with a conical disease due to the lack of setting boundaries and saying NO; that is a complete sentence; be comfortable saying no and setting boundaries.

These are all excellent advices, but the first step should be to ask yourself why you feel overwhelmed? This could be anything from bedtime/ sleeping hours / hobbies etc etc. However, if I just answer this question without doing any reflection this might help: - Delegate tasks that don't necessarily require your direct involvement, freeing up your time to focus on high-priority items - Openly discuss the challenges you are facing and explore potential solutions together. They may be able to provide additional resources, adjust priorities, or provide guidance on effective workload management

If feeling overwhelmed as a Life Coach, prioritize self-care to recharge and maintain balance. Break tasks into manageable chunks, delegate where possible, and establish boundaries to protect your time and energy. Seek support from mentors, peers, or supervisors, and consider outsourcing or automating non-essential tasks to streamline workflow. Embrace mindfulness practices, such as meditation or journaling, to cultivate resilience and clarity in managing workload challenges.

dont overwhelm your self with so many to do steps in overcoming overwhelm that you get deeper in the ditch keep it simple and a lighter burden to do