Do You Feel Overwhelmed at Work?
Deal better with difficult situations and work anxiety.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov
How did you sleep today?
As we all know, these days are full of projects and clients demanding your attention. Poor sleep can be an early sign of work anxiety.
When you feel anxious, you are less productive. Your tasks will start piling up:
Deadlines are becoming tighter.
Difficult conversations are more urgent.
Projects need more troubleshooting.
Ufff. You sometimes have a lot to take in at your job. But instead of drowning in your anxiety, you decide to do something about it. Sounds good?
Spot early signs
It can take time to notice you are stressed and overwhelmed. Most people work at full speed until they run out of fuel. That is not what you want.
Don’t let yourself collapse. Spot early signs of anxiety. In the long term, they can result in depression and mental health discomfort. Watch out for:
Lack of energy
Broken routine
Not enjoying your work
Broken sleep and nightmares
Lack of appetite and weight changes
If you relate to any of these, something is not working. Find out what it is. It can be challenging projects, difficult people at work, and unpleasant conversations ahead of you (for instance, when you have to fire someone).
Always value your health and reduce how overwhelmed you are at work.
Here are my favorite strategies to prevent feeling overwhelmed at work:
Eat that frog
Brian Tracy says there isn’t enough time for everything on your ‘To Do’ list. Don’t aim to do everything. It is impossible. Instead, learn to prioritize and focus.
Get more important things done aka Eat That Frog :-).
You can feel overwhelmed by all the tasks and meetings. So, instead of doing anything, you are stuck. Some even procrastinate as they are unable to focus.
Answer these 3 questions to start:
#1 What are my highest value activities?
#2 What can I (and only I) do that will make a big difference?
#3 What is the most valuable use of my time?
Imagine a frog sitting on your table. It does not go away until you start working on it.
No task is too difficult when you start.
Look at your list and pick no more than three priorities for the day.
Deal with difficult conversations quickly
This is a mistake many (young) leaders do. They hate bringing bad news. It makes them feel miserable.
I get it. No one likes firing someone or disappointing people. Yet, by postponing such conversations, you lock yourself into an emotional drama.
If you get such news or are faced with such a necessity, you need to prepare for conversations as soon as possible. You save yourself to sleep and personal integrity.
Communication is easier when it is planned and done directly.
To get over difficult situations, plan what you need to say, train how you say it, and especially consider how others will take it. Be ready for the emotional hijack, yelling, complaining, etc.
Communication will be more effective if you prepare well. Also, don't be afraid of having someone neutral with you. The facilitator can help to end the conversation on a positive note.
Delegate
People often feel overwhelmed since they are afraid of delegating. Delegation is a synonym for losing power.
The opposite is true. Delegation empowers people, reduces anxiety, and builds knowledge.
What is in it for you?
Get more time for your priorities
Development of your team
Build trust
Don't do things that others can do. Keep the ones you can only do.
Steps for delegation:
Capacity management - Don’t assume. Know what is happening.
Right people and skills - Get to know the skills of your coworkers.
Trust others - Don’t micromanage. Let them perform.
Manage expectations and feedback - Nuances are normal. Set quality standards.
Don’t assume, be sure - Communication is key to delegation.
Don’t fall for time traps
“Sorry, do you have a sec?”
“It will take you one hour.”
“It is just a quick meeting.”
Other people like to steal time from you. As a result, your plans fall apart and your priorities haven’t progressed not even a bit.
Time traps are often responsible for feeling overwhelmed. You try to help where you can while your work stays untouched.
The only way out of this vicious circle is to:
COMMUNICATE
Communicate your priorities and say ‘no’.
Don’t feel guilty or inefficient. ‘No’ won’t make a terrible team player out of you. It is a pure time management thing. Trust that saying 'no' will help you significantly to deal with your work anxiety.
You have a choice. Always.
Feeling overwhelmed won’t make you happier
Quite the opposite.
You may like the feeling that you are indispensable. But always think long-term. No one will remember that you worked long hours to deliver reports. Only you and potential health issues.
Take work easy. Learn to prioritize in stressful times and say ‘no’. You will quickly notice that you can sleep better.
I would be happy to help you and your team stop being overwhelmed and work better together. Let’s work together.
See you next week! Ivona