Between demanding work lives and personal or family needs, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The common response to ever-growing workloads is to work harder and put in longer hours, rather than to step back and find a new way of operating.
Feeling perpetually overwhelmed has a range of negative effects, including forgetfulness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating or thinking logically.
Thankfully, there are things we can do:
1. Pinpoint the primary source. Ask yourself, “What one or two things, if taken off my plate, would alleviate 80% of the overwhelm I feel right now?” Even if you can’t take them off your plate, this question can help you identify a significant source of your stress. If it’s a big project that’s almost done, finish it. Or see if you can break down large projects into more manageable components, ask for additional resources, or renegotiate a deadline extension.
2. Set boundaries. This can include timeboxing the hours you spend on a task or project, leaving the office by a certain time, or saying no to specific types of work.
3. Challenge your perfectionism. Perfectionism can lead us to make things bigger than they need to be, which can lead to procrastination and psychological distress. As things pile up, the sense of overwhelm grows, which can then lead to more procrastination and more overwhelm. Sheryl Sandberg famously said, “Done is better than perfect.”
4. Outsource or delegate. Ask yourself, “What is the highest and best use of my time?” Activities that don’t fall within your answer can often be taught or delegated to others. Examples include managing selected projects, delegating attendance of certain meetings, or having a team member conduct the initial interviews for an open position. At home, consider hiring a housekeeper or cook if possible.
5. Challenge your assumptions. You may have assumptions that are keeping you stuck in unproductive behaviors. For example, you may believe that if something falls through the cracks, you’ll fail and be unable to recover. Or you may assume that if you’re not there to help others, people will question your value. These limiting beliefs are rarely 100% true, and they significantly contribute to a sense of overwhelm. Identifying and debunking these beliefs over time can help you broaden your view of the world, which in turn can reduce overwhelm and provide you with a greater sense of agency.
Adapted from “How to Deal with Constantly Feeling Overwhelmed” by Rebecca Zucker – Executive Coach and a founding Partner at Next Step Partners, Harvard Business Review, October 2019.