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Feeling Overwhelmed with Responsibilities? 4 Tips for Staying on Top of Everything

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Nothing feels worse than the impending sense of doom when you realize you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, overstretched yourself, or allowed yourself to become overwhelmed.

The emotional stress this puts you under is a burden upon both your physical and mental well being. You may not get enough sleep, forget to give yourself proper nutrition and overall feel frustrated and unhappy.

But you need not feel this way if you give yourself the right structure and balance to overcome intimidating tasks and responsibilities. The following are some great techniques to employ which will help you be more organized and feel more in control.

Employ the ‘Eat Your Frogs Method’

This is often paired with a similar analogy of ‘don’t polish your banisters’. Eating your frogs refers to doing the hardest of all your tasks first so that you don’t have it looming over your head. It not only lifts a weight off your shoulders, but it feels very rewarding and incentivizes you to complete your other responsibilities – setting you up for a productive day and making your chores easier and easier the more you complete.

By contrast, ‘polishing your banisters’ refers to a form of procrastination where you do an activity under the pretense of productivity, when in fact this action should not take up much time or is not a priority. This is a bad habit to fall into, as while is it comforting and much easier to procrastinate, it prevents you from following through with more time-sensitive or urgent tasks. In the long term, you will be more stressed and the unfinished chores will accumulate and make the whole ordeal much more unpleasant.

Give Yourself a Break

This may seem counterintuitive, but it is really important not to burn yourself out when you have a lot of responsibilities to consider. Taking care of yourself should be the number one priority, as none of the tasks will be finished with any kind of efficiency or standard of care when you are not able to focus and perform well.

Make sure you drink enough water, eat healthily and take regular breaks for a bit of exercise or fresh air. Especially in a work environment, either remote or on-site, you can begin to feel claustrophobic and more easily overwhelmed.

Communicate with Others

There is absolutely no shame in recognizing when you have too much to deal with for one person. The easiest way to cope is simply asking for help. In a professional setting, talking things through with a colleague or superior can be both useful and productive for the office as a whole.

While working independently is a good quality, being able to work which others is prized for a healthy and thriving work environment. If you need emotional stability, don’t hesitate to seek support from friends and family, and if you feel like it is best for you, a professional. Mental health is crucial for managing time and responsibilities, as well as your overall wellbeing.

Get Organized

This will help in all areas of your life and is one of the most simple and easy to implement into your daily practices. Make a to-do list, either daily, weekly or even without time constraints. Commit to checking off actions each day, no matter how minor they appear.

Use your calendar to your advantage to keep on top of deadlines and commitments, and if you struggle to navigate online calendars or input your data, this is a great tutorial to follow which will make your life much easier.