No matter how productive and resourceful we are, overwhelm or getting overwhelmed is inevitable, at some point in time. Whenever that happens, try not to get too upset, with things not going the way you have envisioned it to be! Try not to beat yourself up, for not being able to organize things better! Some days would be like that, no matter what you do and how much you try!

For someone who has spent way too much time stressing about things getting messed up, not having enough control over things, chores staying undone, working alongside raising a family, being a caregiver, I am going to say this:

Try to manage your overwhelm, rather than get totally submerged into it. Don’t let guilt and regret take you over!

Hide Your Overwhelm or Manage It?

Recently I heard Marie Forleo, a prolific entrepreneur, the host of MarieTV, founder of B-School, talk about her struggle with overwhelm, while being productive and teaching others about productive!

It re-affirmed what I had begun to understand recently! Nobody is immune to overwhelm. I mean nobody! We don’t see people’s struggle only because they either hide it from us, thus, leading a double life!

If you try to hide your overwhelm, it may work only for a little while! On the outside, you would look cool and as someone who has it together. But on the inside, you would feel like an imposter. You would end up feeling more stressed and anxious eventually.

So, they are either good at hiding their overwhelm, or they know how to manage it! I think that the latter is so much more important than doing the former, as a life skill!

3 Ways to Manage Your Daily, Weekly Overwhelm

Here are three small things I do on daily basis to control, or at least manage my overwhelm:

Make a List of Controllable and Uncontrollable Things

We have out to-do lists and bucket lists and what not! But we also need to prepare a list that helps us balance our lives, keep a check on what’s realistic and what’s not, what’s achievable and what’s not! Make a list of all the things you can control and of those you have no control over! Our lives do need magic, possibilities, but it also needs a reality bite and reality check from time to time. Likewise, keep your goals and desires realistic, measurable and achievable. I decided that I would post 3 pins a day on pinterest and write 2 blogs per week. But I realized that with my current level of and responsibilities and workload, I won’t be able to do that or at least do it consistently.   

Take a Break

Take a break in the middle of the day, or week, without feeling guilty! We can’t be on the go always! We are not designed like machines and can’t work like that, and we shouldn’t try to! Don’t keep pushing yourself too hard! You may achieve your goal but would be too tired and washed out to enjoy the win. Do something as simple as taking a nap, taking a shower, sitting down with a cup of tea and your favorite cookie, doing a crossword puzzle, going on a walk, catching up with your friend, etc. Do it and do it without guilt!

Prioritize and Compromise

You can’t have it all and you can’t do it all! But over desire to do everything makes us try to cram everything in our schedule to the extent that it becomes either unrealistic or unmanageable. And then the guilt, anxiety and despair cycle starts again! So prioritize your things! Do your most important and critical tasks first and then address other non urgent tasks accordingly. I think that it’s the perfectionist streak that makes us obsessive about doing everything, doing it perfectly and obsessively. If you happen to be a perfectionist who is unable to manage your overwhelm then you must learn to make small tweaks and compromises for the sake of your sanity. If the house looks a bit messy today, but you have a deadline to meet, then go ahead! Let the house stay messy! Likewise, if a little bit of screen time for the young ones means an uninterrupted work time, then let it happen. If slipping up store bought nuggets or noodles in the lunch box means an extra hour of nap, by all means, go for it!

To Sum Up

Getting overwhelmed is something natural and normal! But allowing your overwhelm to take over your life is neithr good for your productivity nor sanity. I recommend three things to manage your overwhelm: Understand the things you can control and those which you can’t control. Take small but rejuvenating breaks definitely to prevent burn out! Lastly, learn to not only prioritize your tasks but also prioritize them.