Life gets really hard sometimes, doesn’t it? I know there are times when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Here are the things I do most often to manage overwhelm before it sidetracks my efforts and leaves me frozen.
1. I Make Sure My Systems Work with My Brain
For a long time, I tried to make systems work for me that people hadn’t necessarily designed for ADHD. Instead, I was constantly overcomplicating things, searching for “the all-in-one tool,” and rearranging my systems – if I wasn’t ignoring them outright. During my downtime this past year, I took time to figure out what truly works well for my brain – and it turns out that I need a productivity stack of tools with well-defined roles for each, that make it so I know exactly where things go.
By taking time to define the role each tool I use plays, and committing to simplifying my systems, I’ve already knocked out a huge source of overwhelm. If you’re looking at a large to-do list, it might be time to first simplify your to-do system (as long as no fires need putting out).
2. I Stay on Top of My Systems
I complete a daily review at the end of the day to make sure any downloads I need archived go to their homes, and any that were temporary get deleted. I add anything new to the system, check off completed items, and archive where I need to. I try to empty my inboxes.
I also do my best to enter everything with a date into my Google Calendar, put tasks in Todoist, keep notes in OneNote, store links and ideas in Notion and I’m on top of my paper piles. Just doing this means I know what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and where the reference material is for it.
And if I don’t get everything cleared out daily? The weekly review catches the rest.
3. I Goof Off
That’s right. When I feel like things are crushing me, I do the opposite of hustle. I blow off some steam with a cozy game (Stardew Valley, Sun Haven, or Sims 4) or by doing a “three-marker challenge” with one of my kids. When I feel overwhelmed, it’s often because I haven’t given myself enough time to sit back and relax. It’s a good reminder to schedule downtime into my busy weeks.
4. I Break Out of My Comfort Zone
If I’m feeling overwhelmed, then sometimes it helps to do something challenging or something different. I read a book I wouldn’t normally read. I clean in an order I wouldn’t normally clean in. I confess that I’m struggling to someone (if you know me, you know I don’t like to say I’m having a rough time when I’m having a rough time).
5. I Get Outdoors
I’ve mentioned a couple of times on this blog that getting outdoors is like a reset button for me. If I’m feeling overwhelmed, I try to get outside. There’s something about the combination of fresh air, trees, and water that helps me to get out of my rut.
6. I Get Active
I go for a hike, walk, or run. This gets me out of my head enough to figure out a starting place – especially if I’ve been sitting for too long. Not only does moving my body help with my overall health, but it also helps with my mental health.
7. I Delegate, Defer, or Delete What I Can
You know how, when you’re overwhelmed by clutter in your house, it’s good to donate or trash stuff that’s no longer getting used? (Or uh, if you’re a collector of hobbies and craft projects, have the backlog at least organized?) The same goes for your to-do list. You don’t need to do every potential task, RONDA*. Others can handle the tasks better, you can do some at some point in the future, and you can take some off the list.
*My Todoist is still overfull, I think, and I’m trying to get better about only putting in it my very next actions while keeping the backlog in OneNote. But I am very guilty of task-hoarding in my system, which is the number one cause of overwhelm for me.
8. I Am Assigning The Correct Priority My System
For everything in Todoist that stays, it has a priority, various tags, and all p1 and p2 items have due dates. It’s really easy to rate all tasks as high-priority tasks. I tend to over-rate things as P1 or P2 in my system, then repeatedly procrastinate on them. The reality is, if I can procrastinate on it, and nothing happens, then it’s not truly a priority task. I mark P3 items as important – but not yet urgent. I tackle those when I have extra time.Those are the “If I’ve got extra time” tasks.
Just going through and being honest about priorities can help a lot with reducing my personal overwhelm levels.
9. I Play a Productivity Game with a Timer
I have a variety of productivity games I play that help me get unstuck when I get overwhelmed. The most common one is making a list of everything that I have to do and then going down that list. I set the timer for 5 minutes the first time through, 10 minutes the second time through, 15 minutes the third time through, and 30 minutes the fourth time through. That usually knocks just about everything out, and it makes it fun to race the clock. It’s wild how many tasks you can complete in under 5 minutes.
9. I Play a Productivity Game with a Random Chooser
Sometimes, it’s hard to get started. When that happens, I like to use a random chooser to get started. My favorite ones are the Wheel of Names and Mauve Cloud’s Random Chooser. Sometimes, I’ll put the tasks I need to complete for the day in there, and play my timer game with them as they come up randomly. Other times, I will put the tasks in, randomly select one, and work on it until completion. It depends on the day and my focus levels. Random.org is another fun site that allows you to play this game.
10. I Talk It Out
I talk out my overwhelm. These days, it’s usually with my husband, sometimes with an accountability partner. Sometimes, the only thing needed to get rid of the sense of overwhelm is acknowledging it and moving on. Sometimes, having a body double helps. Or knowing I need to check in with someone in 10-15 minutes with a progress update can be the key to getting things done.
Bonus: I Reward Myself
Last year, I started a fun tradition of getting an enamel pin to commemorate goals I’ve reached. When the weight of things truly overwhelms me, I create a reward for myself to treat myself once that hurdle is overcome. It doesn’t take away the overwhelm, but it does help activate the part of me that gets very excited by the idea of a prize for handling the overwhelm.
Do You Have More Tips to Help Manage Overwhelm?
If you have something that works really well for you when it comes to managing overwhelm, I want to hear about it. Comment below or email me at [email protected] to share your story.
