One of the biggest challenges facing business owners day to day is overwhelm. Specifically, this means having too many things to do in too short an amount of time, leading to a sense of feeling out of control. This is why to stay productive and get more things done for your business, it’s important that we learn some techniques to overcome overwhelm.
Feeling overwhelmed in business happens, even to the best of us. It is a common problem that many people face. It can be difficult to get things done when you feel like you don’t have enough time.
However, overcoming overwhelm is possible with some organization, planning, and strategy. It’s how we deal with that feeling that determines our success or failure.
If you find you are feeling overwhelmed in your business, then this Tips Tuesday session is right for you. here are seven expert strategies that will provide practical advice for managing the sense of overwhelm and getting more things done productively.
7 Strategies To Overcome Overwhelm and Staying Productive in Business
- Understand the Cause of the Overload Overwhelm Write down what you’re feeling, why you’re not liking it, and what’s pulling you in the wrong direction. then start identifying the cause of the overwhelm.
For example, the cause of the overwhelm you are feeling could be the pressure you’re putting on yourself and it could be solved with clear communication with clients on real and set expectations.
- Create a System That Works For You These are the workflows that you’ve set in place for your business. an example could be how you manage your blog posts or your social media.
This is also the perfect opportunity to use one of my favourite tools, Time Blocking Planning Sheets, which essentially helps me block out some time for me to do similar activities in batches and get you in the zone
Whenever I record my podcast, I block out a time on my calendar where I record a month’s worth of podcast episodes just so I can get that out of my way for the month already.
- Set Boundaries What hours do you work? Are you working beyond the time you set for working? Are you taking client calls beyond the scheduled time?
As entrepreneurs who basically almost do everything for our business, it’s easy to have our boundaries crossed. Again we need to clearly communicate with our clients and our time about our schedule.
- Delegate and Ask for Help In business, there is no badge for doing everything yourself. I have not found it in the 15 years I’ve been in business.
Find people who can help you do some tasks so you can focus on doing what you do best. These tasks could be marketing, bookkeeping, or general admin tasks.
Your time should be spent on the most important aspect of the business which is bringing in income. So delegate the tasks which are taking away your time from doing that.
And asking for help from coaches like myself is not a sign of failure. It’s a sign that you know your limitations and you know how or where to get more help to succeed.
- Use a Time Management Tools The Pomodoro Technique. This popular time management method asks you to alternate pomodoros — focused work sessions — with frequent short breaks to promote sustained concentration and stave off mental fatigue.
Use a project management tool and time tracker like ClickUp to help you manage your tasks for the week and month.
This will also let you track the time you’ve spent on a given task which allows you to be more realistic when doing the task. This also helps you understand where the overwhelm is coming from by figuring out where the majority of the workload is being spent on.
Other techniques can also be as simple as blocking social media on your phone for an amount of time to focus on work.
- Schedule Breaks
I cannot stress this enough. Schedule lunch breaks and afternoon tea break to give you some breathing room in your day to recharge.
Make these breaks are non-negotiable. You shouldn’t work through lunch just because the business demands it. Remember there is no badge for burnout so please take breaks.
Personally, Friday is a me day. I use Friday for whatever task or activity that I want to do. Whether I spend it on work or for something personal for myself, Friday is reserved solely for me.
When you turn off for the day, be sure to close your office door or close your laptop, just to signal to the brain that it’s the end of the workday and it’s time to take a break.
- Declutter your workspace and life Decluttering is important for business professionals today, especially when it comes to our mental well-being.
Personally, I know the peace and satisfaction I experience from being in a decluttered space, both physically and mentally.
Overcoming overload is not easy, but it is possible. While you can’t add more hours to your day, you can use and apply these strategies to help you stop feeling overwhelmed.
Running a successful business means there will be an increasing number of demands placed on your time. Learning how to manage these demands rather than being overwhelmed by them is a great skill and one that will help to ensure your success is long term.
Highlights
[0:00] 7 Strategies that I use to help manage overwhelm
[1:20] All business owners experience overwhelm
[2:00] One of the first things I say to my clients
[2:15] What to do when you feel overwhelmed running your business
[2:40] Learn to walk away to take a break
[3:10] Strategy #1 – Understand the cause of the overwhelm
[4:25] Strategy #2 – Create a system that works for you
[5:05] Time blocking helps you batch your tasks and be “in the zone”
[5:40] Strategy #3 – Set boundaries
[6:20] Strategy #4 – Delegate and ask for help
[7:50] Strategy #5 – Use a time management tools
[8:08] The Pomodoro Technique
[9:00] Strategy #6 – Schedule breaks
[10:00] Strategy #7 – Declutter your workspace and life
[10:45] Overcoming overwhelm is an ongoing process
[11:09] There is no business without U (you)
[11:25] There is no badge for being busy and overwork
[11:30] Recap on our tips
[12:25] Thank you for joining me in this Tips Tuesday session
[12:40] Join us on this FREE 10-Day Market Your Course Challenge
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