Who has not felt the burden of life piling up, culminating in what can only be described as overwhelm? (If you are that person, please get in touch!). Overwhelm is not so much about the actions we must undertake and the things we must ultimately do, as it is about the feelings around those things. The strong emotion of overwhelm occurs between the time and space in which we become cognizant of what needs to be attended to and the exact time at which the action is completed. That liminal space, which sometimes seems long in both cairos and kronos time, is one in which the mind, intentions, heart, psyche, emotions, and body struggle to align. To complete what we need to and feel good about having done so, those facets of our complex being need to be both present and aligned. Not quite as simple as Nike’s “just do it!”, is it?
Of course, there are tasks we can automate, and times when we ourselves can do things on rote or on automatic pilot, but often our presence of mind, body and spirit is required. At those times, what steps can we take to mitigate our sense of overwhelm in the face of lengthy ‘to-do’ lists, relational expectations and work demands?
As is often the case, breaking it down can provide a pathway forward. When we break things down, we can decide, delegate and delete. We can also prioritize both what is necessary and what would be desirable and rank them in order of priority. We can also estimate how long they will take to complete and better fit them into smaller or larger time blocks.
Have you considered taking a micro-action? Micro-actions are defined as small steps, slight adjustments or reallocation of resources. They can take place once or be incorporated into an ongoing system or automation.
The following are questions to consider in breaking down an overwhelming list or task in a way that will have the most impact:
- What is the singular task or area that is causing the most frustration or friction in my day? (Hint: it may not be the biggest thing!).
- What about this task or area is most annoying or stressful?
- What is the smallest micro-action I could take? Is there a way to fix something (even temporarily) to get respite from its relentless nature? Ordering a part so you have it by next week, donating something that doesn’t work and is taking up space, or even duct-taping it until the weekend?
- What supplies and tools do I already have present to me in this situation? Craft or school supplies, tools or something else I can re-purpose?
- Who is available to help? A family member, neighbour or someone from whom I could call in a favour? Perhaps it is as simple as joining a local online forum, finding and paying a handyperson to deal with it once and for all?
- What will ‘better’ look like in this situation? Does it have to be fully and perfectly done to functional and cosmetic completion now?
- What could I do in five or ten minutes?
- Determine an action you could take today and follow up on later if needed (set a time/date for the follow-up).
- How will I know my actions have worked? What is my expectation?
- How will I feel once this is addressed, either preliminarily or permanently?
Can you find time today to address one task that would ease your sense of overwhelm going forward? What micro-action(s) can you take?
Share your successes in the comments!
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