It is very easy to feel totally overwhelmed by the things you have to do. This might be because of many issues including procrastination. Duties pile up then you wake up and discover that you are approaching the deadline when you have so many other commitments to think about. Other times, the challenge is that we have many tasks to run at the same time and if we overestimate our ability to carry out all of them, we can find that we are getting weighed down by the tasks that we have to do. But instead of getting stressed, weighed down and wasting a lot of time in the process, there are some practical things that you can do to get some order back in your work system:
a) Take a step back and assess all that you need to do
Sometimes our brain can play tricks on us so that we think we are overwhelmed but if we can take a break, look at the tasks that we have to do and break them down to fit the amount of time that we have, we may realize that what we have is actually doable. This is only if you can split your tasks to fit into the amount of time that you have and stick by the schedule.
b) Cut down on distractions
If the reason why you have been procrastinating on a duty is a series you are keen on watching to the end for example, put it away for a while and switch the telly off. You can also switch off your internet data so as not to get tempted to follow the conversation your girlfriends are having about the last weekend. Sleep early so that you are able to wake up early and feel more energetic so that you are able to cover more. In other words, do everything that will help you save more time and energy to redirect to your work.
c) Arrange your tasks in the order that you want to do them
Prioritizing the things you need to do is something that you need to do in order to see more clearly what needs to be done and when. When you have a list of duties and when you intend to carry them out, the breakdown helps to firm you up.
Tips On How To Make A Practical To-Do List
d) Ask for help when you can
If the work you are doing is the sort where you have no experience or skills you can enlist the help of friends who are in that field such as survey, or if you need other tasks done for you so that you can have more time to concentrate on your tasks such as getting a friend to help with housework or shopping so that you spend time and energy of clearing the tasks that you have then, by all means, get this help. Get through the crisis.
e) Communicate
One more thing that you can do is to communicate and let it be known that the work you have to do is insurmountable and you might need more time.
Please note that it is not a good idea to pile up work and overestimate the amount of time you have and what you can do. Before you accept any new duty (if you have the choice) weigh carefully the amount of time that you have and what you take on. Also if you have a chronic procrastination problem, which many of us are, learn how to stop procrastinating. We have tips here.
