Week #18: Feeling overwhelmed? Use these simple steps to catch your breath
May 1, 2007
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This Week's Topic: Feeling overwhelmed? Use these simple steps to catch your breath
Dear Friend, Have you ever overestimated
how much you could do in a given period of time - then found yourself
overwhelmed as you run out of time to get it all done? Well, that
pretty much describes my last week. Hence, you are getting the
newsletter on Tuesday afternoon and I am revisiting a lesson that I
need to be gently reminded of. :) This week, I want to
challenge you to be realistic about how much you can actually do in a
day - or a week. When you find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of
commitments on your to-do list, it is essential that you take a few
moments to ask, “What could I do differently in this situation to
reduce the stress and give myself some breathing room?” Take a few
moments to journal your answers or talk it through with a wise friend. Consider these five steps when you are feeling overwhelmed with too much to do and too little time to do it: 1. PLAN A RESPITE.
When
you go through a period of being in overdrive, the key to not burning
yourself out is to plan some down time. Sometimes there is a good
reason you must shift into overdrive. The problems occur when you stay
in overdrive indefinitely. You must remember to slow down and breathe!
Look at your calendar and plan some down time. This gives you a goal to
move towards as you catch up and take control of your schedule. 2. GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO CATCH UP.
Identify
what’s overdue and what’s coming up. The feeling of being overwhelmed
often comes from feeling that you are behind schedule. Catching up
relieves anxiety and leaves you feeling like you can breathe calmly
again. 3. ALTER YOUR DEADLINES. DROP THE NON-ESSENTIALS.
In
order to catch up, you may need to drop some activities and postpone
others. Consider your upcoming deadlines. What could you change? You
often have more leeway than you think. Notice when your deadlines are
self-imposed and give yourself permission to change them. Lastly, give
yourself permission to drop some activities and projects. You don’t
have to do everything. In fact, you can’t. So why stress yourself out
trying? 4. CLEAR THE CLUTTER.
Clutter in your
environment can cause you to feel you have more to do than you really
do. Take some time to clear the clutter and re-organize. This will give
you a feeling of control that empowers you to get unstuck and be more
productive. 5. REMEMBER YOUR VISION.
When you are
feeling overwhelmed with choices, projects and responsibilities, it is
important to put things into perspective. Ask yourself, “If I don’t get
this done today, what difference will this make a month from now or a
year from now?” If it makes a difference, you know it’s an urgent
priority. If it doesn’t, give yourself some breathing room. Consider
for a moment your vision for your life. Then make sure the little
actions you are taking each day are the steps that are aligned with
that vision.
After going through these steps, I’m catching up
today and look forward to a few relaxing days off at the end of the
week. Thanks for your patience on this week’s e-newsletter (a result of
step#3)!
My challenge to you this week:
Take a break to prioritize and catch your breath. Journaling assignment:
What
aspect of your life is causing you to feel overcommitted, unnecessarily
stressed or overwhelmed? What could you do differently to alleviate
that feeling? When will you schedule a respite?
Until next time ... Warm wishes,
 P.S. Encourage your friends and family by sharing this newsletter and invite others to subscribe! Just send them to
www.valorieburton.com, where they can enter their email address on the home page. Valorie
Burton, a life coach and speaker, is the author of Listen to Your Life,
Rich Minds, Rich Rewards and her latest, What's Really Holding You
Back?. She coaches groups and individuals to live their best lives.
Learn about her coaching groups and subscribe to her FREE,
inspirational e-newsletter at www.valorieburton.com.
Special Mother's Day or Graduation Gift Idea!
Give the Gift of Coaching
Gift Certificates are the newest feature in our online store!
With
Mother's Day, graduations and other events in the lives of the people
you care about, we now have coaching gift certificates available for
purchase in our online store. The gift certificates come wrapped in a
lovely box along with a professional introductory package of
information for the recipient. For more information and to purchase a coaching gift certificate, go to www.valorieburton.com/catalog.php?item=31&catid=Coaching.
Please feel free to forward the Rich Minds, Rich Rewards E-Newsletter
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Minds, Rich Rewards E-Newsletter is written and distributed by Inspire,
Inc. Copyright (c) 2007 Valorie Burton. All rights reserved. www.valorieburton.com.
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