148 - Handling Overwhelm

Scale Your Small Business

Welcome back to the Scale Your Small Business Podcast with your host, Jillian Flodstrom! Today, we’re tackling overwhelm. It’s something we all are challenged with, but for some reason struggle to talk about. We’re going to talk about some strategies that can help you get out of that cycle quickly.

Sometimes, procrastination is both a product and a cause of and for overwhelm. Just as often, the source of the overwhelm is a task that is smaller than we think but has been left to fester and grow into something that encompasses us.

A good place to start is getting focused on priorities. It’s important to know what you need to get done first. Start with what makes you money, or what has a firm date deadline. A lot of overwhelm stems from way too much to do.

Depending on what your procrastination destination is, you may be getting sucked in to hide from a task. No matter what the action is, you've got to get around it. Try making a list of every single thing you’re overwhelmed by. Getting things out of your head and onto paper can make it much easier to attack.

If you’re avoiding your overflowing email, start with organizing your inboxes. When things are laid out for you, it can become more manageable.

Create a workspace free of clutter. Turn off all your devices, and let yourself focus.

Finally, break larger tasks down into smaller, more digestible ones. Write them down on sticky notes and keep track of the to-do, in-progress, and completed sections of your Kanban board (check out our other episode on them!).

Key Takeaways

Sometimes, the source of the overwhelm is a task that is smaller than we think but has been left to fester and grow into something that encompasses us.

Try making a list of every single thing you’re overwhelmed by. Getting things out of your head and onto paper can make it much easier to attack.

Finally, break larger tasks down into smaller, more digestible ones.