Overcome Overwhelm: How to Cope with Overwhelm

TL;DR

Learn how to overcome feelings of overwhelm as a project manager with a seven-step routine to regain control of your tasks.

Transcript

one of the inevitable consequences of our role as project managers is that we have a load of stuff to do and it can be overwhelming at times it's important to understand what we mean by overwhelmed because overwhelm is different from overload and we can get overloaded but the difference for me is that overload is primarily an objective state of aff... Read More

Key Insights

• 🔬 Overwhelm is a subjective feeling of being unable to cope with the workload.
• 💦 Objective overload occurs when there is too much work to do with limited time and resources.
• 👋 The overwhelm routine focuses on addressing the subjective feeling of overwhelm rather than just implementing good time management.
• 👂 The routine involves creating a now list, eliminating unimportant tasks, deferring tasks, tackling small tasks, focusing on substantial tasks, taking breaks, and reassessing the task list.
• 🎮 The routine helps project managers regain a sense of balance, control, and perspective.
• 😃 It is important to identify the big tasks that need attention and prioritize them based on personal preference and level of friction.
• 🥳 The overwhelm routine can be repeated multiple times in a half day to make progress on significant tasks.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the difference between overwhelm and overload?

Overload is an objective state of having too much work, while overwhelm is a subjective feeling of being unable to cope with the workload.

Q: How can an overwhelm routine help project managers?

The overwhelm routine provides a prescriptive solution for regaining control and managing feelings of overwhelm, whether the workload is genuinely overwhelming or not.

Q: What are the steps involved in the overwhelm routine?

The steps include creating a now list, eliminating unimportant tasks, deferring tasks for later, tackling small tasks, focusing on substantial tasks, taking breaks, and reassessing your task list for better control.

Q: How can the overwhelm routine help project managers regain a sense of balance and control?

By following the routine, project managers can eliminate small tasks, defer non-urgent tasks, complete substantial tasks, and reassess their workload to regain a sense of balance and control.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Overwhelm is a subjective feeling of being unable to cope with the amount of work, while overload is an objective state of having too much work.

• Dealing with overwhelm requires addressing what is going on in your head, rather than just implementing good time management.

• The seven-step overwhelm routine includes making a now list, eliminating unimportant tasks, deferring tasks for later, tackling small tasks, focusing on substantial tasks, taking breaks, and reassessing your task list for better control.