Managing overwhelm
Overwhelmed. Stretched in six different directions, constantly context switching, plagued by the project on fire, the meeting you’re presenting at next week, and the four new items on your TODO list. Being in overwhelm-mode is uncomfortable and isolating, even though we all go through it.
What can you do to manage the overwhelm when it arrives? Here are some things I try when I find myself in overwhelm-mode.
Rant. No really. I write my future self a note and describe what’s going on, what feels out of control, how it got that way, and the emotions I’m experiencing. Describing your overwhelm in writing can help you better understand it and help you see what you can control and adjust vs what is out of your control. Keeping a private record of these rants allows you to see patterns and growth. It can also give you some perspective and reassurance that you’ve climbed out of similar situations in the past.
Catalog. Collect all of the topics, todos, deadlines, objectives, problems and write them down. I’ll sometimes start with pen and paper and then move to an electronic form where I can categorize, group, and move things around.
Distract. For me exercise is the thing. So I’ll go for a run, a walk, or when it’s too cold hit the rowing machine in the basement. The activity takes me out of my head and helps me stop having the immediate experience of “overwhelm”. Sometimes my brain will bring me some idea or clarity that helps. Sometimes I just get the benefit of shifting my mindset for awhile.
Examine. Go through the items in the catalog and explore them. Play 5 Why’s. What if I delay or drop it? Who else can do it? What is this serving? If there’s a deadline, who would I talk to about changing it?
Communicate. Sometimes the above steps are enough to bring things under control. When that’s not the case, I’ll bring a version of the catalog to my boss or colleague and ask for confirmation, perspective, and help prioritizing the items as well as finding things to drop/delay. One of the best ways for a boss to help is by helping you prioritize and adding context that you may be missing about the projects and items in your catalog.
Check-in. Finally, I’ll set a reminder for myself to check back in one or two weeks. Am I still feeling overwhelmed? If things improved, what helped? Those go in the overwhelm rant journal for next time.
Thanks for reading. I hope you found something useful. Have you found a different recipe for dealing with overwhelm? I’d love to hear about it.