After the third return trip home to get yet another item I'd forgotten, I laughingly mentioned to my family that its really a good thing I'm an organizer. Then I realized that I've made that statement several times this week, and it's only Tuesday!
Luckily, I am an organizer who deals with chronic disorganization and overwhelm, so I was able to take the advice I often give out to my clients:
STOP. Stop moving, stop thinking, stop going around in circles. For just one minute, stop.
Breath. Take several deep, slow breaths and get oxygen back to your brain.
Prioritize. Which is the first thing you need to do? You may even want to Dhuck Your Responsibilities.
Focus on ONE task at a time. Multi-tasking does not accomplish more in less time. It's like opening all the programs on your computer and trying to use the internet, all at the same time. It slows down everything.
Simplify. Get back to the basics of what you need to accomplish, not what you could accomplish.
Take breaks. Breaks don't have to be long. Just taking a 5 minute break between projects and tasks can help you re-focus your thoughts about what's next.
Ask for help. You don't have to do everything yourself. The help could be as big as taking on a larger role in a project or could be as small as taking out the trash this week.
This was not the original topic for the blog, but I thought I would take the opportunity to confess that I still get as overwhelmed as anyone else. However, I have strategies I rely on to move forward and now you can, too. And yes, I successfully navigated the rest of my day and am making much better progress.
If you want help navigating out of your overwhelm or need support in clearing your clutter, call me at 724.453.4557 or email me at simplify@dhucks.com I can help over the phone or video (virtually anywhere), as well as in-person (for Butler County, PA residents only).