Set boundaries on your time and workload. This can include “ time boxing” the hours you spend on a task or project, leaving the office by a certain time, or saying no to specific types of work. Or, if it’s the sheer size of the task or project that is overwhelming you, break it down into more manageable components, ask for additional resources or renegotiate the deadline if you are able - or all of the above. If it’s a big project that’s almost done, finish it. Pinpoint the primary source of overwhelm. Ask yourself the question, “What one or two things, if taken off my plate would alleviate 80% of the stress that I feel right now?” While you may still be responsible for these items and cannot actually take them off your plate, this question can still help you identify a significant source of your stress. If you are feeling constantly overwhelmed, here are some key strategies to try: Any of these effects, alone, can make us less effective and leave us feeling even more overwhelmed. When we have too many demands on our thinking over an extended period of time, cognitive fatigue can also happen, making us more prone to distractions and our thinking less agile. The cognitive impact of feeling perpetually overwhelmed can range from mental slowness, forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty concentrating or thinking logically, to a racing mind or an impaired ability to problem solve. While CEOs of trillion dollar companies like Apple’s Tim Cook, wake up at 3:45 AM, most of us don’t have quite this level of responsibility. Maria, a start-up co-founder, felt constantly overwhelmed as her company started to scale. Ajay, a senior leader at a late-stage start-up, needs the extra quiet time to try to make a dent in his ever-growing to-do list, but feels like he’s trying to dig himself out of a hole that just keeps getting deeper. Sue, who works for a tech company that recently went public, is leading many simultaneous projects and is fearful she’ll miss an important email. When we started working together, they each had already resorted to getting up at 4 AM to do work. I have a few clients who fit this description. Our typical response to ever-growing workloads is to work harder and put in longer hours, rather than to step back and examine what makes us do this and find a new way of operating. This has nothing to do with how smart we are, but with how we make sense of the world and how we operate in it. In their book, Immunity to Change, Harvard professors Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey discuss how the increase in complexity associated with modern life has left many of us feeling “in over our heads.” When this is the case, the complexity of our world has surpassed our “complexity of mind” or our ability to handle that level of complexity and be effective. Add in personal or family needs, and it’s easy to feel constantly overwhelmed. Our work lives have become increasingly demanding, presenting us with ever more complex challenges at a near-relentless pace.
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