Have you ever had days when you felt as if you had a mountain of tasks to tackle, and the altitude just keeps rising? Do you feel the crushing weight of deadlines as they loom nearer, when all you want to do is stop and catch a breath, but you know that if you do the consequences will be dire? The world is so fast-paced and sometimes staying on top of your game just feels impossible. Forget staying ahead, sometimes it feels like you’d be lucky if you can even make it to the finish line!
Burnout from stress and exhaustion is a very real problem, especially for people who have demanding jobs. If you must take care of household responsibilities on top of that, whew! That is a recipe for crashing and burning. Prolonged stress can cause lasting damage to your physical health. You can develop heart problems, gastric issues and even stress-induced autoimmune diseases. So many professionals suffer from anxiety and panic disorders that can make life very debilitating.
You have to preserve your mental health and not let your daily responsibilities overwhelm you. Picture this; you wake up on a weekday, you have to get to work because you have a big project coming up. If you have to take care of family members or kids, your day will start even earlier. Once you’re done with the responsibilities at home, you get to work and you’re constantly engaged dealing with people, doing paperwork, on your feet- it takes a lot of mental and physical energy!
If you have a job that demands taking work home, then you don’t catch a break once you sign off work either. Once your professional responsibilities are taken care of for the day, you then have to deal with other tasks. Paying bills, making dinner, cleaning up the house and a thousand other things. Do you have time to socialize? Spend quality time with your family? Do you have time to rest or even take care of yourself?
The routine I described above sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? I feel anxious just writing it down. Sadly, that is the reality for most of us because we need to push ourselves this far just to survive. Most of us can relate to the feeling when you have a pile of unfinished tasks left, half the day is gone and all you want to do is lie in bed and draw the curtains because it just seems so hard!
You don’t have to put yourself through such rigors every day. Enduring such a stressful routine can actually cause task-paralysis. Task paralysis occurs when you have so may things on your plate, you can’t decide how to even get started. You freeze up and can even blow everything off. Doing this lowers productivity, so why would you join in the rat-race on purpose?
Luckily, you can fix this. A simple change in perspective is all you require. You need to tweak your daily routine so that you can manage all your responsibilities without caving under the pressure. There are tips you can follow to help you with schedule management to maximize productivity without the overwhelming pressure.
Here are ten easy ways you can help unburden yourself to avoid getting overwhelmed.
1. Don’t Go with the Flow!
Going with the flow sounds zen, sure. But it doesn’t work when it comes to schedule management. The best way to avoid feeling overwhelmed is to plan your time. You cannot buy time and simply wishing you had more is a fool’s hope.
So, plan out the next day. Plan out the coming week if you can. Once you know exactly what you’re supposed to do and when you should be doing it, you will take a load off yourself because you won’t be leaving things up to chance.
Technology has made this super easy. Automated calendar scheduling options are easily within our reach. We all have calendar apps on our phones, or you can download a personal task management app. There are so many fun options available. You can customize the schedule management app to your preference. They come in different colors and themes, with special alerts and reminders.
You probably have such an app already on your phone. Type “My schedule Manager” in the search bar and you will find the app designed to help you with your to-do list. The reminders will sound an alarm that will remind you when to start a task, and you can even set the time. For example, if you need to submit a task at 10pm, the app can remind you one hour before to get on it.
2. Pinpoint Productivity
We all have certain times of the day when we do our best work. Some people work best early in the morning, while for some, their minds only start functioning productively once the sun sets.
Set your high-priority tasks at times when you feel most productive. You arrange your task list according to this time on schedule management app. If you sort your tasks out by productivity time, your energy levels will be higher which means the quality of your work will improve. You will feel more driven to complete the tasks without dragging your feet or getting overwhelmed.
3. Keep it Real
Do you know what a SMART goal is? SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. Make sure that you make a to-do list that is attainable. Being attainable means that you should realistically be able to complete the tasks you have assigned for yourself. Don’t overschedule yourself and do not cram more tasks than you can humanly complete within a set timeline.
Overscheduling is a surefire way to frustration. The tasks will seem too daunting, and you will invariably end up putting them off. If you set attainable goals, you will be able to complete your list without any issues. Checking off all the tasks on a day’s list is a very satisfying feeling indeed!
4. What Distractions?
We are surrounded by distractions that make completing our tasks so difficult! Think about it for a minute: what distracts you the most when you’re trying to get work done? When you’re working on the computer, the urge to scroll through social media is irresistible at times. You start scrolling through reels, you watch one, then another, then another and… before you know it a whole hour has passed!
What distracts you? The TV running in the background? Other people? Identify your distractions so you can eliminate them within the time you have allocated yourself for finishing a particular task.
Your personal task management app can help with that. A schedule management app has alarms that go off whenever you’re due to start a task and you can even set one for when you’re supposed to be done with it. It’s like working on a timer. You give yourself an end time, so you don’t have any excuses to procrastinate. It really works!
5. Idle Time
We all have some time during the day when we’re just hanging around doing nothing. Whether you’re waiting for an appointment, or you have to pick your kids up from somewhere, any time when you don’t have anything major to do, you can schedule small tasks to do during that wait time. Don’t get time to shop online? A doctor’s waiting room is a great place to finally do that. Inbox piling up with emails? You can do that while you’re waiting for your next meeting. This way, you don’t waste your time and still get tasks done!
6. One thing at a time!
I know, multitasking is all the rage but the more you divide your attention, the more mistakes you are likely to make. You have to focus on the task at hand, otherwise you will quickly burn through your mental and physical energy. You don’t need to waste your time jumping between tasks. Use automated calendar scheduling to set small tasks in alignment. This way you can get done with the first task and then move on to the next one.
You won’t make careless mistakes; you will be able to complete your tasks properly and you won’t burn yourself out while doing it.
7. You Can’t Do It All by Yourself
Don’t try to be a one-person band. You can’t do everything yourself. If there are tasks you can outsource, use that to your advantage! If you have to clean your house, give the simpler tasks to your kids or other family members. At work, delegate! Use whatever resources you have at your disposal- interns or coworkers, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
We have this need to prove ourselves and be independent, but there is no reason to overwork yourself when you don’t have to. If there are other people you can delegate your tasks to, why would you stress yourself out?
If you can afford to hire services, do so! Hire a cleaning service or organizing services to make your life easier. Why not?
8. Small, then Big
Once you get into the habit of crossing tasks off your list, you’ll be hooked to the great feeling. Tackle the smaller tasks on your schedule management app first. Once you cross them off your list, handle the bigger task after that. You will feel really accomplished once you do so!
Don’t schedule multiple big tasks in the same day because that can also wear you out. Create a balanced list on your schedule management app. Several automated calendar scheduling can help you decide which tasks to set for specific days. It will be easier to identify the tasks once they are all lined up on the schedule management app.
9. Prioritize Yourself!
Human beings are suckers for instant gratification. We love rewarding ourselves because whenever we experience a good feeling, the mind floods our bodies with dopamine. You get a ‘rush’ and that feeling is addictive. So, when you complete a task that makes you feel more fulfilled and accomplished, your overall sense of well-being improves.
It boosts your self-esteem and confidence. With a higher level of confidence, we feel more motivated to tackle all the tasks on our list. Your schedule management app can help you set these priorities. You can mark your favorite task, and the personal task management app will help organize your list in a way that you periodically get that gratification we all crave so much.
10. Set Healthy Boundaries
Being a people-pleaser never gets you anywhere. You might think you are being empathetic and helpful, but that empathy is pricey. It costs you precious mental and physical energy. It is very easy to get depleted when you are constantly giving your time and effort to other people- when will you have time for yourself?
I understand saying ‘no’ to someone can be an uncomfortable feeling. Many of us can’t help but feel we are letting people down if we refuse to do something for them. Remember, you do not owe anyone anything.
You especially don’t owe them your time and effort at the expense of your own wellbeing. When you prioritize yourself over the needs of other people, you are saving a lot of time and energy that you can then use to complete the tasks on your own list.
It is very important to set healthy boundaries for yourself. You only need to do the things that are your responsibility. Live for yourself without letting other people’s responsibilities burden you.
The Bottom Line
See how easy it is to solve such a big problem in your life? All you need is the right schedule management app and a shift in perspective. Most personal task management apps are free to download and easy to use. All you have to do is get into the habit of using them.
Schedule management apps work great for people who have issues with concentration like people who have ADHD. Download one and see how being overwhelmed and anxious becomes a part of the old you!
