How to Get Started on Overwhelming Amounts of Work

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1Listing and Prioritizing Your Work

2Focusing Your Attention

3Managing Your Time

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It can be hard to deal with the feeling of being overwhelmed with work. To move beyond the feeling of being overwhelmed and start getting the work done, you will need to give yourself some time to strategize and put the work into perspective. You will need to figure out which work is most urgent as well as which work is relatively more important. Once you have a strategy, you can focus your attention, create a work bubble and start getting it done. You may also want to get proper rest and take a short break once in a while.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Listing and Prioritizing Your Work

1. 
   1
   Write down everything you need to get done. By visualizing your work, you will start to get a better sense of the work that is urgent and the jobs that are less important. The process of writing it down may reduce some of your anxiety over the workload, since you won’t have to hold it all in your head anymore.

   • Make a list of everything you could do today. Write down a list of all the things you want to get done today. Be ambitious and don’t worry if it seems like a lot.
2. 
   2
   Identify urgent tasks. Reviewing your ambitious to do list for the day, circle the items that are urgent and cannot be ignored. Urgent items are tasks or jobs that will have negative consequences if left undone today. If there is anything that needs to get done right away, you should list it as your top priority. Finally, order the urgent tasks on your list by writing “urgent, 1,” followed by “urgent, 2” and “urgent, 3”. Complete urgent tasks in order of priority.
3. 
   3
   Identify valuable work. Beyond the most urgent tasks on your list, you should prioritize the most important work. Circle the important work on your to-do-list for today. To assess which work is important, think about how many people will be impacted by it. If a lot of people are impacted by a job on your list, it is probably very important. Order the important work on your list by writing “important 1”, “important 2” and so forth. Once you have gotten the urgent tasks out of your way, complete the important tasks.

   • If there is a tie in priority between two important jobs on your list, look at the time estimates for the respective jobs. If one job will take more time, you should consider starting with it.
4. 
   4
   Cut items from your list. Once you have finished the process of prioritizing the items on your to-do-list in order of urgency and importance, you should see if there are any items that can be cut. Once you have cut these items from your list, make sure you write them down as possible additions to your to-do-list for tomorrow.
5. 
   5
   Make a short task to-do-list. If you have a huge volume of small tasks in front of you, consider making a short or ten-minute task to-do-list. On this list, write down all of the tasks you need to get done that will take a short amount of time such as five or ten minutes. When you have time between larger projects, do one of these small tasks. You will feel good when you are able to cross it off your list.
6. 
   6
   Set smart goals. You should review your work goals to make sure they meet SMART goal criteria. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. By using the SMART goal criteria, you can ensure that the work you are doing is relevant to the project at hand and achievable within a given timeframe.

   • Ask yourself what is specific about your work goals.
   • Consider how you will measure or assess that the work is complete.
   • Determine whether the goal is actually achievable for you, including in relation to your other responsibilities.
   • Look at how relevant the goal is to the project or task you are trying to finish.
   • Review the deadlines for your time-bound goals.
7. 
   7
   Start with small, achievable goals. Start by setting smaller goals that are relevant to your larger aims and are achievable. By focusing on small goals first, you will be able to cross off some relevant and important tasks. Then, you may feel less overwhelmed by the amount of work on your plate. You may also be able to build more momentum towards finishing the bigger things on your list.

   • If you need to write a report, start with a smaller goal such as writing a section of the report.
   • If you need to finish a major project for a client, start with a smaller goal such as one part of the larger project.
   • If you want to change careers, start with a small goal like interviewing someone who works in a different career.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Focusing Your Attention

1. 
   1
   Visualize your desired outcome. Consider what it would look like to finish all of the work on your plate. Write down your goal for finishing the work. Give yourself five minutes on your coffee break to imagine your desired outcome. With this outcome in mind, focus your mind on doing everything you can to achieve it.

   • You can also just imagine it in your mind.
2. 
   2
   Focus on the top three things you need to get done. Reviewing the to-do-list, consider the top three things that you need to get done. If there are three urgent or important things on your list, focus your attention on getting them done. If you get them done early in the day, you can always move on to the next things on your list.

   • If you pay attention to smaller or less important tasks and fail to get the top three things done, you may regret your lack of focus at the end of the day.
3. 
   3
   Change your work environment. You may simply need to change your work environment by, for instance, getting out of the office and going to work in a coffee shop. Part of being overwhelmed may relate to the physical environment you are working in as well as the people you work with. In this case, you may be able to improve your efficiency by working in a different place.

   • Work at a coffee shop.
   • Work at a local library.
   • If you don’t need internet access and the weather is nice, go work in a local park.
4. 
   4
   Get some rest. Sleep and rest are essential for workplace productivity. Although it may seem counterintuitive, you should make time for rest so that you are more efficient during your workday. In deciding how many hours to sleep, consider your age and health.

   • Adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
   • Older adults, over the age of sixty-five, should get seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
   • If you continue to stare at your computer or engage in physical labor when you are tired, you may be more easily distracted and less efficient at getting work done.
5. 
   5
   Try meditation. Meditation is one of the best ways to train your mind to focus. People who meditate tend to be more calm and more focused, which should help you move beyond the feeling of being overwhelmed and get the work done. Start by finding a relaxing place to sit in your house or workplace. Sit with a straight back and an open chest. Notice that you are breathing. If your mind starts to wander to thoughts about work, redirect your attention back to the sensation of your breath. Sit and meditate for ten minutes or however long you are able.

   • Try using meditation applications like Headspace, Calm or Buddhify.
   • Check out meditation classes and workshops at a meditation center in your area. The Center for Mindfulness has a list of meditation centers.
6. 
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   Avoid multitasking. Avoid the temptation of texting while working or trying to juggle too many tasks at once. Instead, you should learn to focus your attention on the task at hand. Instead of responding to anyone and everyone who calls for your attention, you should simply focus on the job in front of you. Learning to focus your attention is one of the top skills of successful individuals and entrepreneurs.
7. 
   7
   Say no to additional requests. Learning to say “no” can actually make you more productive and successful at work. If you are always saying yes to colleagues or listening to complaints, you may become distracted. To say “no,” try using “I don’t” instead of “I can’t” statements:

   • “I don’t work on weekends.”
   • “I don’t work overtime because it negatively influences my family life.”
   • “I don’t take on any new projects in that area. See if John is taking anything on any projects in that area right now.”
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Managing Your Time

1. 
   1
   Give yourself time to strategize. Making a plan to tackle your workload may make it feel more manageable and less overwhelming. Give yourself fifteen minutes at the beginning of your day to prioritize the work that needs to get done. By giving yourself time to assess priorities, you will work more efficiently and feel less overwhelmed.

   • You should write down your workplan at the beginning of the day, which will help you stay on track during the workday.
2. 
   2
   Take a short break. Give yourself half an hour to take a break from all of the work that has piled up. You may simply need to take a walk around the block to clear your head. If you are hungry or thirsty, you could grab a coffee and a snack. You may feel refreshed and more focused when you get back to your work.
3. 
   3
   Work for half of the weekend. You can make a little more time in your week by working on the weekend. To ensure you still get some rest and relaxation, try working either one of two days or half days on Saturday and Sunday. By working half of the weekend, you will still get some rest. And you will have a head start on your workload when you come into the office on Monday.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  What should I do when work starts to feel overwhelming?

  

  Rebekka Mars
  Meditation & Yoga Coach

  Rebekka Mars is a Life, Meditation, and Yoga Coach as well as the Founder of Modern Meditation™. She's located in Sarasota, Florida and also works online with people all around the world. With over ten years of experience, Rebekka specializes in Yoga, meditation, and personal training to help clients embrace their body, mind, and soul to find calmness and balance in everyday life. She holds a BA in English from Lindenwood University and has over 1000 hours of Yoga training, holding her ERYT500 certification. Rebekka also serves as a keynote speaker on the topic of modern mindfulness speaking in person and virtually.

  

  Rebekka Mars

  Meditation & Yoga Coach

  Expert Answer

  Try to find some time during the day where you can relax and meditate. Just focus on your breathing and clearing your head so you don't feel as stressed.

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