Grow Your Influence with Remote Employees
January 9, 2023
3 Ways to Impact & Influence Your Listeners
February 13, 2023Overcoming Relentless Overwhelm
Are you overwhelmed?
Do you feel like there is so much to do, and no way to accomplish it all?
Many of our clients have shared that they’re feeling overwhelmed. That they are trying to do the impossible in the amount of time they have each day. Clients express their feelings of frustration with never-ending workdays brought on by a sea of never-ending messages and tasks.
We’ve never been so disconnected in our overly connected world. Even with all of our technology and information wisdom, we’re pushing ourselves at a faster rate than ever before. The fast pace at which we receive information clutters our mind and creates so much noise that we are left feeling relentlessly overwhelmed and ultimately burned out.
Even when these feelings are internalized, others can sense the chaos beneath the surface. It threatens our level of influence as it seeps into our messages and body language. The energy we put forth shifts, dampening our interactions and people’s perceptions of who we really are.
Overcoming feeling overwhelmed requires mindful planning and open communication but is needed to have influence in the workplace. Here are four ways to rise above the noise and overcome being overwhelmed.
- Honor time
We all need a break. Technology has made it far too easy to message others when a thought pops into our mind, often spilling into downtime when our minds need to decompress. If you think of something you wish to share, write it down. It will clear your mind without creating clutter for others. What you have to say can wait until the next workday.
A step you can take today to begin managing the feeling of being overwhelmed.
- Establish boundaries
Harvard Business Review found that cognitive impact and fatigue effects our ability to organize thoughts and communicate clearly. Not only does our sanity require down time, but our minds need it to remain sharp.
Set aside specific time throughout each day to step away from the noise. Use this time to clear your mind and do something meaningful. Spend time with family or read a good book. Maybe go for a walk or listen to music. Either way, turn off the notifications, text messages, and emails. They “probably” can wait.
- Say ‘no’
Overwhelm often comes from over-commitment. We set unrealistic deadlines on ourselves to complete tasks, over-saturate our calendars with meaningless meetings, and over commit what little time we have.
Consider everything on your plate. Decide what is a must-do versus a nice-to-do. Prioritize a list and determine what you can say ‘no’ to. Will you risk disappointing someone, maybe. But no level of disappoint is worth your sanity.
If you want to be seen as influential, you must exude calm collectedness that honors yourself, honors others, and puts you in control of your day.
Stacey’s Picks:
By: Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz
If you missed one of Stacey’s previous blogs or tips, visit her online.
Check out our Research on Influence in conjunction with the University of Northern Colorado HERE.
