There are many times when I realize I have so many tasks to do that it can be overwhelming. It’s a feeling that probably every busy professional (or non-professional) feels from time to time. When life gets too difficult, these are a three things I do to avoid feeling overwhelmed, and avoid anxiety:
1. Take a moment to calm your mind.
Even if it is just a minute. 2 to 5 minutes is even better. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Concentrate on nothing but your period: breathing in. Breathing out. Living in. Breathing out. The purpose is to calm your mind.
2. Make a list.
Write all of your tasks town. Organize it. The aspect of organizing what you need to do may make you feel more in control of the situation, and can calm your nerves.
3. Prioritize.
Mark the tasks on your list as either urgent or not urgent, and important or unimportant. The tasks that are both urgent and important are the ones that you should do first. Of those tasks, pick one that is the most uncomfortable and that you’ve been avoiding the most, and focus on it first, and do nothing but that most important and undesirable task. In other words, as some say, “Eat the frog.” Once you complete that most important yet undesirable task, you should feel a sense of relief.
If, during step 2 or 3, you begin to feel any anxiety, go back to Step 1. Always go back to Step 1 — and breathe.
