Many of us have a lot going on. From work, family, chores community responsibilities, friends and fun, there is usually always something to do.
Sometimes there is just so much to do and so much going on that it’s hard to know where to begin. If there is too much on your plate it can become overwhelming. Once you get to this overwhelmed stage you might actually somewhat shut down and end up not get anything done.
When this happens it actually makes you feel even worse. More things will pile up or you end up beating yourself up because you feel like you wasted time.
To avoid getting overwhelmed and to still be productive, here are 7 tips that will help you figure out what to do when you have too much going on.
1. Make a list
I love list making because it helps you see how much you really have going on. Sometimes it feels like you have a ton to do, but then you make a list and realize it’s really just 5 things. It helps you to get focused by visually seeing what needs to be done and putting in a form that is achievable. You get a sense of success when you are able to cross something off your list as well.
2. Figure out what needs to be done today
Sometimes I will write a large list of things to do, but there is no way it can all be accomplished in a day. I will then go through and figure out what I need to or what I am able to get done today. Then I’ll just focus on that. It works well instead of trying to do a bunch of stuff in one day and feeling overwhelmed when you don’t achieve as much as you wanted.
3. Figure out what is urgent and important and do those first
There are different types of things that need to get done. Some things are important, meaning they need to get done, but not urgent, meaning they don’t have to get done now.
For example: Cleaning your house is important, but not always urgent. If you don’t clean the house today, you can do it tomorrow. It needs to get done, but it doesn’t have to get done today.
You might need to go to the store and get stuff for dinner. That is urgent because it needs to be done by the end of the night, but not really important as you can always figure something else out to eat.
However, if you have a deadline on a paper that you need to fill out and send by the end of the week, then that is both urgent and important and you should do that first. If you put it off and it doesn’t get done on time then you will feel more anxiety about it and there could even be consequences.
Figure out what on your list is urgent and what on your list is important. Some things are just urgent and some just important. Other things will be both, urgent and important, so that can guide you on what to do first. Do what is both urgent and important first and then move on to other things.
4. Start with something small
When you look at your list, there is probably something on it that you can do it 20 minutes or less. Maybe you need to do dishes or run an errand? By doing one of those small things you will feel a sense of accomplishment by knocking something off your plate. If you get can two or three small things done you’ve actually accomplished quite a lot.
5. Get the big thing that’s bothering you done
On the flip side, if there is something big you need to do that has been bothering you, get it done. You are probably feeling the weight of this burden and by just letting it build up you are only making things worse.
Even if you can’t complete it all in a day, get it started. Work towards it and make some progress. Not everything can be accomplished quickly, but taking small steps towards a big goal is progress and can give you some clarity on what to do next.
6. Ask for help
Sometimes you just need some help, and that’s okay. If you have too much going on, don’t be afraid to ask for some help. Maybe someone can do something on your list for you, maybe they can help you figure out what needs to be done first or maybe they will just be that encouraging support we all need sometimes. Don’t feel bad asking for help, everyone needs something sometimes. It’s better to ask for help than to sit there feeling overwhelmed.
7. Rest
Yeah, you weren’t expecting that one right? Hey, it’s true, we are all just human and we all need rest. None of us can work non stop and if we try we get sick. Our bodies can only handle so much and same with our minds. If we are constantly working and doing stuff, we will get burnt out and then even the simple things will feel overwhelming.
It’s actually Biblical to rest. In the Bible, God worked 6 days to create the world and on the 7th day he rested. If God rested then what makes us think we don’t need rest?
Take some time to rest. After you do so you’ll be able to see things more clearly and things will feel less overwhelming because your body will be ready to tackle what needs to be done instead of crying out for rest.