By Believe it or not you DO have time for everything. The fact of the matter is you often feel stressed and overwhelmed because you misuse time during your work day. Have you ever been so busy that you sabotage yourself by doing nothing useful? Now that’s overwhelm!
But before we get started, sit back. Uncross your legs, drop your shoulders and let out a big fat sigh…… Slow deep breathing, for as little as three deep breaths, can bring you into a more calm state instantly.
What is happening in the body when you are feeling overwhelmed is that your conscious mind, which holds your thoughts and emotions, is making you feel like you have to actively manage and remember all your tasks constantly.
This stimulates the unconscious mind to believe you are stressed. To preserve your sanity, it simply switches off shouting, “I can’t cope”, causing you to feel tense, panicky and unproductive; hence, overwhelmed.
Fortunately, with just a few small adjustments to your mindset and daily routine you will be delighted at how quickly you can stop feeling overwhelmed and start feeling empowered in your business. Here are seven overlooked, but powerful strategies to get you started:
Get rid of the do-it-yourself mentality
Stop micromanaging and start delegating. Learn to say “no” and feel good about it! Leverage your resources. Outsource duties and responsibilities that weaken you and drain your energy. Better to spend your time on the vision and passion that was the catalyst for your business. Consider using a virtual assistant or freelancers.
Record your chatter
Pay attention to your self-talk. If your mind is spinning and you have all your clear thoughts when you’re on the go, invest in a voice activated audio recorder. Take it everywhere and when you feel the urge to make a mental list, fire away. Journal if you feel writing is a better way to express yourself. You’ll be amazed at how solutions, not problems, will start to flow.
Leverage technology
Investigate automated services that can eliminate paperwork and help you keep organized while juggling multiple priorities. There is technology that allows you to capture thoughts, create to-do’s, automatically send emails and set reminders all with a simple phone call. Cancel statements and apply for E-bills. Have vendors send all statements by email instead of snail mail. You will have hard copies that are easy to download and access when you need it. Just think, less mail to sort through, open, file or toss!
Establish routines
Set aside 15-30 minutes a day to review administrative tasks, create menus for a week, coordinate business and personal commitments. Try grouping similar tasks together. Establishing these kinds of routines allows you to release the worry about tackling all of your tasks in a giant block of time.
Prioritize your tasks
To begin with, get clear about what is important in your life. Most people spend 80% of their time trying to complete 20% of their tasks. Do what must be done, not what feels comfortable. Don’t skip over difficult items when working through the list. Spend that extra 10 minutes to prioritize what must be done for the day. Do those things and forget the rest.
Schedule “unscheduled” time daily
When you are scheduling tasks and appointments for the day, leave 20% of your time unscheduled to allow for emergencies and interruptions. One of the biggest sources of overwhelm is scheduling yourself too heavy. Invariably a glitch happens that throws your whole schedule off. Save yourself the headache and frustration, leave a portion of your day “free” to handle unexpected situations that may come up.
Avoid perfection
You are only setting yourself up to fail. When you try to complete difficult tasks perfectly, you will only end up avoiding them. Just get started. Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at the start. Do the best you can in the moment and be happy with your job.
Copyright 2008 Diane Estrada, The Business Ballerina
Diane Estrada, the Business Ballerina, is a successful business executive and entrepreneur. She shares tips and lessons learned from years as a ballerina to teach women entrepreneurs how to build million dollar businesses with grace and ease. To learn more about her programs and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her website at http://www.businessballerina.com.
Related posts:
