How To Get Things Done When You Feel Overwhelmed

Have you ever categorized people based on how quickly they respond to your emails? I confess that I have. Being efficient is a vital skill for achieving success. However, today’s demanding work environment presents constant challenges, such as managing multiple tasks, procrastination, and striving for perfection. As a result, we may feel overwhelmed, which can hinder progress, even for straightforward tasks like replying to an email. That is why, in the tech industry, Agile practices emphasize the importance of “getting things done” before moving on to the next one.

This article was originally posted at Forbes by Luciana Paulise.

Leaving tasks unfinished, such as writing an email but not sending it, coding without testing, or talking to a customer but not closing the sale, can fill up our schedule without making any real progress. This can lead to frustration, anxiety, and exhaustion, leaving us feeling like we’ve worked hard but haven’t accomplished much. Before we know it, we’re overwhelmed by our never-ending to-do list. Can you relate?

The psychological impact of being overwhelmed

If your to-do lists keep stretching on and on, you dread checking emails or get anxious when doing one task; thinking about the other tasks you are not doing, you are overwhelmed and probably on the verge of burnout. And instead of getting things done, you are overcommitting and taking on more than you can handle. This can result in what is called, in psychology, a moment of panic known as the freeze, fly, or fight response. 

Freeze: Procrastination

Finding yourself putting off certain parts that seem more difficult or tedious. This could include things like asking for help, reaching out to someone, reviewing a document, or finalizing the last details of a project. Procrastination is often accompanied by feelings of guilt, stress, and anxiety.

Fly: Avoidance

Avoiding your important and urgent to-do list by checking your phone, adding even more things to your list or doing simple but not urgent tasks that seem easier to do or less boring (but at least make you “feel” like you are doing something).

Fight: Multitasking and Overworking

Reacting impulsively without strategizing or seeking assistance. Consequently, you could end up getting sidetracked by various tasks that seem related to your objective but do not help you make progress towards it. You start one task and then move to another, and then start a third one just to feel like you are making progress on your to-do list (multitasking). Or, you may overwork in the name of perfectionism. You want to do it perfectly, but you get so tangled up in the details that you cannot see the finish line.

How to Get Things Done

Instead, prioritize tasks and tackle them sequentially for optimal results.

1) Calm down

Start by taking slow breaths to stop the panic response and allow your brain to think more clearly. Expert Alice Boyce in Harvard Business Review recommends starting with self-talk.”The best self-talk helps you feel calmer and in control. It combines self-compassion and appropriate responsibility-taking.” Most of the time, anxiety stems from comparing your performance with others. Detach from the task and dare to be average. Just plan for what is possible!

2) Prioritize once a day

Begin by setting clear priorities, define your big rocks, but only do it once a day, don’t second guess yourself throughout the day. Plan your tasks in the following 8 hours, identifying starting and ending times. The easiest way is timeboxing on your calendar. Identify tasks based on their urgency and importance. Have a one-hour-a-day time for 2-minute tasks to reduce distractions during the day.

3) Accept

Use the planned allotted time and not go beyond it. In the tech industry, the concept of “technical debt” is used to refer to a situation where you accept a certain level of work quality, acknowledging that more work could be done, but you choose to postpone it to be able to complete the task at hand. By accepting the work as it is, you can continue to move forward, and if time permits, you can go back and focus on the details later. 

4) Visualize your work in progress 

Use a personal Kanban to easily spot when you are working on too many things at the same time and the work in progress is ramping up. A personal kanban could be like a bin or folder for ‘open items’, physically on your desk or digitally as a folder on your desktop, or use Sunsama to do it automatically. Draft emails are also a good measure of work in progress.

5) Close your day intentionally

At the end of your day, it’s important to review your progress and determine what tasks were completed, what tasks still need to be done the next day, and where you may need help. Take time to celebrate your accomplishments at the end of the day, and reward yourself for completing tasks.

In a world filled with distractions, FOMO and competing demands, the power of getting things done cannot be overstated. Remember, it’s not about doing more tasks simultaneously; it’s about doing each task effectively and achieving your goals purposefully.