Feeling Overwhelmed? 4 Ways To Get Back On Track
Even at the start of the New Year, we can often feel that we’re already behind. You may be behind on your resolutions, or took too much time off and are behind on your work. Or maybe you took too little time off and are feeling tired. Or perhaps you worry that you need to do more on the home front with your children, grandchildren or parents.
No matter where it comes from, that nagging feeling (sometimes it’s even a voice!) that there is too much work and not enough time can be overwhelming.
Feeling like there is too much to do and not enough time is a terrible place to be!
Overwhelm can stop you in your tracks for a while if you let it. I know firsthand about that! You are not alone.
Before I tell you how to snap out of feeling overwhelmed and get back to living your fabulous life, it’s important to understand where the feeling starts. The bad and the good news is: it starts with you.
Look at the bright side: you have the total power to change this situation. You can feel differently about your workload and obligations starting today.
I want to tell you how to turn it around, but first, let’s look at what causes us to feel overwhelmed:
Overcommitting. Saying yes too often can make you feel like you are burdened with a long to-do list and extraneous responsibilities.
Procrastinating. You may have the right amount of work to do, but you just don’t do it! We all procrastinate from time to time. But too much procrastination will certainly cause you to feel like work is never-ending.
Unrealistic expectations. Overwhelmed feelings can come from being unrealistic about our time, attention, or talent. We hold ourselves to an impossibly high standard and then we feel overwhelmed by the amount of work it takes to get to that high standard. I have done that myself and it can feel like you are chasing your tail - it’s never-ending. The result is stretching ourselves too thin and feeling like the end is permanently out of reach - which is almost never the case.
The trick to beating overwhelm is getting ahead of these three behaviors. Nip them in the bud so you can feel accomplished, in the flow, and aligned with your purpose every day. Here’s how:
#1 Make A List (And A Decision).
I have a friend who says, “When you’re listless, make a list!” I love that saying because it’s a simple way to remind yourself that you can create a yellow brick road to get back on track. Making a list helps you see the workload you have in black and white.
The list will also help you make some key decisions: what needs to get done right away? What can you delegate? What can you put off for another time? You get to decide what you do, and that feeling that you have to do “everything” all at once begins to go away.
Take this idea a step beyond the to-do list and decide how you want your days to go, what you want your weeks to look like, even how you want to fill your year. Using your power to choose in a small or big way puts you back into the driver’s seat.
#2 Get An Accountability Buddy.
Now that you have decided what you will do, and you have your to-do list in front of you, you’ll want to get an accountability buddy for the inevitable backslide. Everyone backslides. No one is perfect so we need to prepare for those times when we need a little push and extra support. Letting other people know about important projects you are doing helps you get them done! Otherwise, you might get distracted and ooops! There goes your commitment to getting it done.
Many of my students use The Pattern Design Academy Facebook group as an accountability check-in, and I think that is a terrific idea. There is so much support and nurturing in that group - and we are all in the same boat so it’s easy to cheer each other on! There are no overwhelmed feelings in that group. We are right where we need to be.
You can use a Facebook group, a friend, a business colleague, or a family member to help keep you moving toward your goals. Let them know about the decisions you’ve made: “I decided to finish this project by 5 PM today,” “I’ve decided to spend 20 minutes a day doing something creative,” “I’ve decided not to take on any new projects this quarter,” and then ask them if they could keep you accountable. Most people are happy to do it and they may even ask you to keep them accountable too.
#3 Clarify Your Vision.
When you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s most likely because you lost your vision somewhere along the way. Maybe you took on too much, or procrastinated on a few projects, and didn’t realize it was taking you away from your vision.
Take a moment to reconnect with the big vision of your day, month, year or even your life. It will help you get back on track. To support your vision, you can create a vision board, write a “manifesto for life,” journal about it, or chat with a friend about your new direction. Those things will help you stay committed to what’s most important to you and leave overwhelming feelings behind.
#4 Create Habits That Support You.
Your vision is important, don’t let go! Instead, create some routines and rituals that support it.
Here are three habits that keep overwhelm at bay:
Turn off alerts. Shut down any devices that are going to call for your attention when you are working. You can put phones and computers in another room: out of sight, out of mind.
Say no. Make a habit of saying no to things that don’t support your vision and it will get easier to have a flow to your day. After only a few days you will feel more in control of your workload.
Recharge. Get a massage, take a walk in nature, talk to a friend. Find a way to recharge and regain the balance between work and play. If you don’t recharge regularly, burnout and being overwhelmed will knock on your door.
You are in control of your time and can do what you love. If you have been putting off enrolling in my Pattern Design Academy because you think it may be too much time, work, energy, I hope you see that it will help you recharge your creativity and thus regain balance in your life.
Commit to making your creative projects a priority and join us in the Academy. I promise to make it easy, fun, and invigorating! Enroll TODAY.
Here’s what my students have to say:
“I am so impressed with the level of detail that's packed into every aspect of this course. The bite size steps inside the modules keep you engaged and progressing without overload! The challenges at the end of every module keep me on track, engaged, so I know I'm progressing every week, and I love the feedback and support in the Facebook group. I cannot believe I'm designing patterns so quickly. Thanks Anne!” - Andrea Hedquist
“This program exceeded my expectations. The 3 things I liked the most were: #1. I love your energy level and positive vibe. #2. I appreciate the transcripts. #3. I like the on-going access to the videos. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and sharing your knowledge with us.” - Joel-Marie Kusunoki
“I signed up for Anne’s program with the goal of making unique patterns to help me with my caregiver website. In addition to teaching the basics of surface pattern design, Anne also covered multiple ways we, (her students), could use our newfound skill in our personal and professional lives. Patterns are everywhere! I appreciate that Anne taught us a new skill, AND gave us ideas on how to move forward and actually use the new skill we invested money in learning. Her course is worth every penny. Anne: I’m so happy I took your course! You really helped me figure out how to take a giant step forward in my career.” - Katie Butterfield
“Not only did I learn about surface pattern design, I also had so much fun and shared the experience with some wonderful, creative and supportive people. Anne you are fantastic teacher - supportive, enthusiastic and knowledgeable! I really appreciated your enthusiasm and warm, supportive presence. The Facebook group is fantastic and although I didn't post very much I really enjoyed being part of it. The course is visually appealing with lots of great content. You provide resources and downloads which are highly relevant.” - Trish Morton-Smith
“Before I enrolled in the programme, I am a little worry that I cannot finish the course on time, and then I will leave them "forever", because I have enrolled a few online courses year ago, and I have not finished them! But this course I can finish them, because it not only teach the technical things, there are also a lot of perspectives, like the mindset, encouragement from you, possible career path etc. I also think you are a very considerable person, coz that transcripts in each videos may help people have hearing problem or English is not the first language to understand as well !” - Carrie Lin
I hope to see you in the Academy!
Remember,
It’s Never Too Late to Create
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MEET ANNE
Hi…I’m Anne!
My creative inspiration comes from a lifetime of observation. I grew up in Paris on the Place St. Sulpice and walked to school through the Luxembourg gardens. And that was only the beginning… Learn more by watching the video on my About page.
