On Overcoming Overwhelmedness

Lately, I realize that I am frozen.  Do you ever have that?  So many things to do that you shut down and just freeze?  Brook Noel states 4 sources behind why you might be feeling overwhelmed and how to overcome it.

A visual representation of my mind right now

February 17, 2015

1. There is one specific task on your to do list that you dread.  You keep ignoring it until the task reaches crisis-mode and must inevitably be faced.
2. A task seems impossible.  It's so large or ambitious that you don't even know where to start.  So you don't start at all.
3. You've given the task at hand a lot of thought.  So much so that you spent more time planning how to accomplish something rather than taking proactive steps to actually get 'er done.
4. Life happens and things get pushed aside.  Soon, your to do list is getting longer and longer and you are struggling to keep everything under control.  Or worse, you're freaking out.

There is no point mulling over all the things you need to do and creating more anxiety.  The best way to overcome overwhelmedness is to take action, so that you can tick off those tasks, and have peace.  So, get out a pen and list what is overwhelming you right now.  Now, pick one task to work on this week.  Give 5 minutes of your time to completing that task.  No multi-tasking or distractions.

It's just one task and 5 minutes.  Sometimes, those five minutes are torture.  Sometimes, that time helps you see that it's not a mountain after all, but a mole hill.  Your anxiety decreases and it won't be so difficult to face it again next time.  If you are lucky, you get on a roll and you may not want to stop until you've checked that nasty bugger off your to do list.

What do you do when you are overwhelmed?