STOP Feeling Overwhelmed as a Change-Maker!
Today I want to talk to you about some tips I have learnt along my journey. Tips that I have learnt from others and tips that occurred from my own endeavours. I want to focus on one feeling that many change-makers may encounter on their journey, the feeling of being overwhelmed. In my opinion, it is one of the biggest challenges facing us as change-makers. So much conflicting information in one day can make us feel overwhelmed. This feeling can ultimately derail our plans, make goals seem further away and basically push us off track.
When we are put in an overwhelming situation it can leave us paralysed, thoughts plague our mind telling us we cannot achieve our goals, and we end up fixated on the fact that we could fail that we end up not trying.
That is why I wanted to share some tips on how to overcome this feeling. I cannot take this feeling away, but I can help you overcome it.
1. Plan, plan and plan some more
We previously talked about how New Year’s Resolutions do not work mainly because they are not specific enough. This is the same for short term goals in the sense they should be specific, and in order to make them specific, you need to plan.
You can start by planning your day. You can do this by simply writing down what needs doing that day, or what you plan to do. Personally, I tend to write down what I need to do the night before. For example, on a Monday night, I will write down everything that I need to accomplish on Tuesday. This is so I don’t go to bed thinking about what I have to do, or what I should do. To some degree, it clears my mind as I have a set list on what I should be doing.
You don’t necessarily have to write down an extensive plan, just jot down a little plan to remind you what you should be doing. Just keep in mind, this plan is for you, so it should be done in a way that works best for you.
2. Pace yourself
Once you have your plan written down, you will find that your mind is not racing with ideas and you won’t be feeling as overwhelmed. When you have your plan or list in front of you, now is the time that you should sit down and break it all down. I start by breaking it down into separate sections. For example, I would say that I have to check all my e-mails by eleven, then between 11 and 12 o’clock, I will make all the phone calls I need to make and so forth.
This sets the speed for the day so that I get everything done, I don’t feel like I have to do everything in an hour and it helps me sort my day out.
3. Have fun
When you work in a Social Enterprise you can sometimes be so focused on your big impact and making a difference in the world that you forget the most important aspect. You should make the most of the little things and have fun. It sounds strange as you are working in a sector that aims to impact society, so why should you have fun? Well, the alternative is that you start to feel so overwhelmed that you are unable to fully do what you set out to accomplish.
Use humour to pace yourself. Life is not made to be serious every day, it is made to be enjoyable and ultimately that is what you are setting out to do.
If this step means that you take a day out to relax, so be it. You will come back feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.
What do you do when you start feeling overwhelmed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Wishing you growth and happiness,
Nyasha
