What do you do if you're overwhelmed with office work?

1 Prioritize your tasks

One of the first steps to deal with office work overload is to prioritize your tasks. You need to identify which tasks are urgent, important, or both, and which ones can be postponed, delegated, or eliminated. A useful tool to help you prioritize your tasks is the Eisenhower matrix, which divides them into four categories: do, decide, delegate, and delete. You should focus on the tasks that are urgent and important, and do them first. Then, you should decide when to do the tasks that are important but not urgent, and schedule them accordingly. You should delegate the tasks that are urgent but not important, and assign them to someone else who can handle them. Finally, you should delete the tasks that are neither urgent nor important, and eliminate them from your to-do list.

2 Organize your workspace

Another step to deal with office work overload is to organize your workspace. A cluttered and messy workspace can make you feel more overwhelmed and distracted, and affect your productivity and efficiency. You should clear your desk of any unnecessary items, papers, or files, and keep only what you need for your current task. You should also organize your digital workspace, and sort your files, folders, emails, and documents into categories and subcategories. You should use labels, tags, colors, or icons to differentiate them, and create a naming system that is easy to remember and search. You should also delete or archive any outdated or irrelevant files, emails, or documents, and free up some space on your computer.

3 Use office management tools

A third step to deal with office work overload is to use office management tools . There are many tools and apps that can help you manage your office work more efficiently and effectively, saving you time and energy. For example, calendar apps like Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, or Calendly can help you plan your schedule, set reminders, create events, and sync your calendar with other devices or platforms. Task management apps like Trello, Asana, or Todoist can assist in creating, tracking, and completing tasks, setting deadlines, assigning priorities, and collaborating with others. Communication apps such as Slack, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams can be used to communicate with colleagues, clients, or partners; send messages; make calls; share files; and conduct meetings. Document management apps such as Google Docs, Microsoft Office, or Dropbox can help create, edit, store, and share documents, spreadsheets, presentations, or forms.

5 Ask for help and feedback

A fifth step to deal with office work overload is to ask for help and feedback . You don't have to handle everything on your own, and you can reach out to others who can support you, guide you, or advise you. You can ask for help from your manager, your colleagues, your mentor, or your coach, and let them know what challenges you are facing, and what solutions you are looking for. You can also ask for feedback from them, and find out how you can improve your performance, efficiency, or quality of your work. You should be open to constructive criticism, and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

6 Celebrate your achievements

It's important to celebrate your achievements when dealing with office work overload. Acknowledge and appreciate your efforts, progress, and results, and reward yourself for completing tasks, meeting deadlines, or reaching goals. You can do this by giving yourself a compliment or pat on the back, sharing your success with your manager, colleagues, or friends, treating yourself to something you enjoy such as a meal or movie, or taking time off for leisure activities.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?