Most of us have felt overwhelmed at work at one point or another.<\/p>\n
It might have been caused by something as minor as receiving one too many emails, or it could\u2019ve been triggered by an abrupt change in expectations–like a surprise meeting or a deadline that got moved closer at the last minute.<\/p>\n
Something pushes you into a state of complete overwhelm, and you start to shut down. You\u2019re stressed, you can\u2019t think straight, and you certainly can\u2019t focus on your work. Everything seems impossible<\/em>. Even something as simple as drafting an email can feel like an insurmountable task.<\/p>\n But guess what. You\u2019re not alone–and this can<\/em> get easier.<\/p>\n Get started with monday.com<\/a><\/p>\n A Deloitte report<\/a> concluded that hyperconnectivity was one of the leading culprits causing workers to feel overwhelmed. Many employees admitted that being constantly exposed to emails, notifications, and instant messages across several platforms doesn\u2019t just put a damper on their productivity, it leaves them feeling stressed and overwhelmed.<\/p>\n This is especially<\/em> true for employees who feel tethered to their jobs 24\/7\/365 through emails and messaging apps.<\/p>\n France was one of the first countries to recognize the negative effects hyperconnectivity has on mental health when they passed a law in 2017<\/a> restricting companies from messaging employees outside of working hours.<\/p>\n The report also mentions that:<\/p>\n And all of this can lead to people feeling overwhelmed, especially when they\u2019re racing against the clock to meet deadlines.<\/p>\n Another one of the biggest culprits causing people to feel overwhelmed at work seems to be sensory overload<\/strong>. Being bombarded with a constant stream of information throughout the day is overwhelming.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re not checking emails and chats on your company\u2019s messenger platform, you\u2019re wading through an ocean of information on their servers while trying to find a document or memo. Or you\u2019re switching between multiple platforms, like tools for scheduling and managing tasks<\/a> and assignments.<\/p>\n So how do we fix this?<\/em><\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n Feeling overwhelmed can have a negative impact on your performance and productivity. It can throw you into a tailspin where you feel like it\u2019s impossible to plan and execute your tasks. When you\u2019re overwhelmed, you might also experience decision fatigue, which makes it difficult for you to make even the smallest of decisions.<\/p>\n As you already know, none of this is good for your performance or your mental health.<\/em><\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve got that out of the way, are you ready for some good news? <\/strong><\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to spend each day of work fighting feelings of stress and overwhelm. Here are some tips on how you can prevent yourself from being overwhelmed at work.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Good time and project management skills don\u2019t come naturally to everyone. But just because you\u2019re not the most organized person in the office doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t use a little planning to help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed at work.<\/p>\n Checklists are great for this. Simply write down a few goals you want to reach over the course of the day, and devote your time to completing the tasks on the list. This can help you avoid becoming sidetracked by other low-priority projects.<\/p>\n For example, if you know you need to generate a marketing report by the end of the day, you\u2019ll probably be less likely to get sidetracked helping a coworker with an assignment that\u2019s completely unrelated to you. Plus, it feels good to check an item off your to-do list.<\/p>\n There are a lot of benefits to using a checklist, but you need to keep it short and sweet. Just focus on the main goals you want to accomplish for the day, because looking at a mile-long list of tasks to complete can also be overwhelming.<\/p>\n Multitasking is just a fancy word for \u201cdoing too many things at once.\u201d It\u2019s also a surefire way to overload your senses and burn yourself out. On top of that, research suggests that multitasking doesn\u2019t work<\/a>. While you may feel like you\u2019re powering through your to-do list when you multitask, consider the following:<\/p>\n But multitasking doesn\u2019t just hurt your productivity. It can also lead to you becoming overwhelmed from juggling multiple tasks at once and having to remember important details for each of them.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, multitasking can even make it more difficult for you to ignore distractions<\/a>, which can further increase your chances of sensory overload. In other words, just stick to one task at a time whenever possible.<\/p>\n For a lot of people, nothing sends you into a state of overwhelm faster than losing track of time. And if you\u2019re working a fast-paced job, it\u2019s easy to do. You\u2019re so preoccupied with a task that you completely forgot you have an assignment due at the end of the day. Boom! Instantly overwhelmed.<\/p>\n This is where Kanban comes in. Think of Kanban as a beefed-up to-do list for people who need to track their progress throughout the day, week, or even month. It\u2019s great for managing and tracking a steady stream of assignments<\/a> to do, and Kanban only takes a few minutes to set up a physical board. All you need is a poster board and a few sticky notes. Here\u2019s how you can do it:<\/p>\n This will help make it easier to manage your to-do list. If there\u2019s ever a task that you can\u2019t complete at the moment for whatever reason, you can leave it in the \u201cto do\u201d column and begin a new task. This strategy is a great way to stop yourself from becoming overwhelmed by making it easier to track your assignments.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n Another way to prevent yourself from becoming overwhelmed is to engage in mindfulness exercises like<\/a> guided meditation or active listening. The idea is to bring your thoughts to the present so you\u2019re not preoccupied with things that have already happened or could happen<\/em> in the future. Mindfulness exercises work because they reduce some of the elements that trigger stress or zap away your mental energy\u2013\u2013both of which can lead to feelings of anxiety and overwhelm.<\/p>\n \u201cTo keep myself from being overwhelmed, I practice yoga and Vedic meditation,\u201d said Michael Miraflor, SVP at MediaLink<\/a>. \u201cIt helps me reduce stress and to keep my ideas fresh and flowing.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to read more on how to be mindful at work, we\u2019ve got an article<\/a> that can help you get started. Also, be sure to check out our post on music for productivity and mindfulness<\/a> to help you get in a productive headspace.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re trying everything it takes to mitigate overwhelming experiences at work and you\u2019re still getting overwhelmed, ask your supervisor for help. According to research<\/a>, 65% of executives found overwhelmed employees to be an urgent problem.<\/p>\n From this, we can surmise that most supervisors understand the effects that being overwhelmed can have on your job performance and your health–and chances are they\u2019ll work with you to help you feel more comfortable in the workplace. Don\u2019t be afraid to speak up.<\/p>\nOverwhelm is part of work<\/h2>\n
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Strategies to help you cope with being overwhelmed at work<\/h2>\n
1. Plan out your day<\/h3>\n
2. Stop multitasking<\/h3>\n
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3. Make a Kanban board<\/h3>\n
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4. Engage in mindfulness exercises<\/h3>\n
5. Ask for help<\/h3>\n
6. Take a break<\/h3>\n