Help me, I’m overwhelmed

23 Oct

I’m overwhelmed and this is what I’m doing about it.

I've just landed back from a 6-week trip to the UK (oh and the joy that was Disneyland Paris). The house is in complete chaos, the garden has beautiful spring blossoms and a lot of weeds, the washing basket is overflowing, my email inbox is screaming at me and my head is whirling with the things that I know I need to get done and pay attention to. I am in a state of overwhelm.

Anyone working in healthcare right now knows that feeling, too much to do, no time to do it and then the stuff you didn't even know you needed to do. Pretty sure you'll have a left-field additional challenge just to keep you on your toes. (Mine was injuring my knee and along with the pain, it's slowed me down considerably).

I'm giving a couple of phrases front row in my head right now and I keep repeating them, particularly when that knot of tightness appears in my chest or the swirling sense in my stomach comes on - both signs of anxiety and tension for me.

One thing at a time.
When there is too much to do and no time, you can end up half-doing things, getting distracted, and jumping about back and forth. It wastes energy and most things end up taking twice as long. So it's one thing at a time and the remainder can sit in the queue and wait. (Maybe the queuing at Disney gave me practice). Each thing done will steadily build and you'll have many things done.

Move as far as you can see
When in a state of 'oh my god what do I do first' it helps me to bring the goals to a much nearer point in time. Maybe a day, maybe half a day. And Move to that point and then more will be visible. So I'm working on where I want to be at the end of the day, and moving towards that point.

Manage your energy, not your time
I'm jet-lagged and still emotional from the trip we've had. So noticing how I feel, and what I need will keep me going. Lunch, fresh air, coffee, maybe a nap. Keeping my energy up will over the course of this coming week make me more productive. It might feel counterintuitive; taking a break and sitting in the garden with a cup of tea when I have SO much to do. Those 5 minutes will give me a much higher return on the time investment than if I force myself to keep going.

Do the work
To balance the take-a-break philosophy of the previous point, it is still work and it still has to be done. That break isn't a throw in the towel (after I've washed them of course), it's a keep-it-going break. It's on me to get through the work and get set up for next week. I can't play victim, or woe is me over this. With my energy regularly replenished I can do the work. It's an attitude.

Feeling overwhelmed can be scary, drive anxiety levels, and impact your performance and your relationships. It's a common state that I hear from people working in healthcare and it's certainly not helping the retention of staff and the delivery of care. Get clear on noticing the physical signals your body sends you, step up with the courage to do things that might feel counterintuitive, take a breath, and find the phrase or mantra that works for you and allows you to keep putting one foot in front of the other.