Staying Focused When You're Overwhelmed - 5 Tips

Do you ever have that feeling that your brain is too full?  When you look at the long list of deliverables and projects and to-do items and activities you have in front of you, and your poor little synapses simply can't hold it all at once?

I think that is what my month is shaping up to be.  Coaching managers and business owners, designing and delivering a new motivational talk, facilitating team development sessions, acting as an emcee/facilitator at three different events, working with a personal trainer, skating at roller derby, teaching three university courses, oh - and did I mention I'm taking an improv class?

Even when everything you have on your list is excellent - it's still possible to feel a bit overwhelmed.  So here are some tips for staying organized when you have too much going on in that noggin of yours.

1. Get it All in Front of You - That means writing down what you need to do, and when you need to do it by.  When your brain is on overflow, let it overflow onto a piece of paper, an excel spreadsheet, or a sticky note.  Get it ALL down.

2. Look at Your Resources - Resources are things like time, energy, staff, money, etc.  Do you have the resources to do what needs to be done?  If not, how can you fill the gaps?

3. Think about your Energy Balance- By "Energy Balance" I mean that there are activities that add energy to your life, and those that drain your energy.  Do you have a mixture of both?  For example, I know that teaching 80 students this term will use up a lot of energy, but that my coaching, roller derby, and improv are likely to return much of that energy to me.

4. Build a Plausible Schedule- By "plausible" I mean your schedule should include not only due dates, but blocks of time in which you can do the actual work.  This can even be a short-term strategy.  For example, I tend not to use detailed schedules in my work, but when things get busy, I use my schedule as a tool to get me over the hump.

5. Keep the Engine Humming - The engine is your body and brain.  Sleep adequately, get some exercise, and take in fresh food and water. Your body is not simply a vehicle that transports your brain and mouth to various meetings - it's the engine for your productivity.

What tips do you have for staying focused when things get overwhelming?  The first two commenters to post a good tip here on the blog will get a free copy of my Advice for New Managers eBook.

Comments

[Jay Johnson]

Great post! I get this feeling a lot too so I can relate. I've been toying with trying the Pomodoro Technique this year. (http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/)

But I've also just read about a flexible system called the Middle Way Method.
(http://www.diyplanner.com/node/7099)

The best advice I think is simply, if your way works keep it and look for ways to improve it. And if it's not working, try something different. You won't know until you try so get busy!

[Heather Farber-Lau]

This was a great reminder of how to keep myself from going under when things pile up.

When that overwhelming feeling does start to creep up, though, the best thing that helps me is when I pause, take 5-10 minutes to allow myself to just write it all down.

I keep a little notebook with me, so I can keep a running log of what I need to do and then go back and cross it off when it's complete (or break it down further into action steps and cross THOSE off). The feeling of being able to cross something off a long "to-do" list helps balance out the overwhelmed feeling.

Sometimes when the list seems to be getting too long, I take a few minutes to go back through and pare it out - does something really need to happen? Can I delegate it? That refelction is also key.

Thanks, Cheri, for all of your helpful thoughts!

[Cheri]

Thanks for the great tips!

Heather - to send you an ebook I'll need your email address. You can send it to me privately by clicking "contact Cheri" on the left side of this page.

Cheri

[Shankar]

Great post, Cheri. I like the comments on the physical side of managing multiple priorities - the energy balance concept and that the body needs to be taken care of too.

This is what I do to prioritize things and ensure that I have the time to accomplish them. I make diligent use of my outlook calendar - based on the timelines for any activity, I plan ahead and block chunks of time on the calendar when I need to get them done. The work is then executed at these intervals.

Another issue that I have experienced is that as one goes from one meeting to the next, I would miss on a few action items resulting in an unwanted situation later. I carry around a small notepad, where I note down the key actions coming out of each conversation. That way, there's closure in a timely manner.

[twitter.com/davidburkus]

Good post. Kind of reminds me of the idea of fixed schedule productivity.

[Cheri]

Shankar,

I love the "small notebook" idea. In our age of digital devices, perhaps we underestimate the power of a handy sheet of paper.

I find it easier to jot down a note by hand than to type it into the tiny keyboard on my smartphone. :)

Cheir

[Caitlin @ Link building Services]

These are really great tips. There are times I get overwhelmed of what I am supposed to do and because of that I forget. I became forgetful ever since I had my kid. I guess the tasks grew too much my brain couldn't keep up.