The world of employment can be overwhelming and stressful sometimes – even if you love your job. We’re all dealing with many professional and personal pressures that make managing the chaos of everyday life increasingly complicated. When you combine your worries at home with impending project deadlines and uncooperative co-workers, it can feel as though succeeding in your business role is impossible.
The good news is that you don’t simply have to “put up” with the stress and overwhelm at work. Rather than ignoring your feelings and pressing your nose further to the grindstone, it makes sense to create a strategy that might help you to reach your goals with fewer problems. Here, we’ll cover just some of the steps that you can take to banish overwhelm from your life, and regain control over your career.
Have a Plan
When it feels like you’ve got far too much to do, taking the time to step back and think strategically can seem a little counterproductive. However, planning could ensure that the rest of your time at work is far more efficient.
Begin by writing down what you need to do for the day or the week, and figure out which order you should be completing tasks in. You’re sure to find some things more important than others, and this will help you to stop thinking about how you’re going to fit everything in.
When you’re feeling overwhelm at work, only stopping for a second and taking the opportunity to breathe and evaluate can give you a lot of much-needed power over the situation. Remember to prioritise your tasks, and accomplish them one at a time. Multitasking is never an effective way to get things done.
Give Yourself a Break
Stress can be a huge detriment to your work life. When you’re spending all of your time in the office panicking about what you need to get done, you don’t have any space left to focus on the challenges at hand. Stress closes the creative part of the brain, damages our cognitive processes, and even disrupts our perception of time, so we feel like we’re losing minutes faster.
Although it’s hard to tear yourself away from your desk while the demands are piling up, taking some time out to relax can be an excellent way to lighten the burden. While it’s tempting to work without breaks, the reality is that you can only accomplish so much before your brain needs a little rest and rejuvenation.
If nothing else, spend about five minutes walking around the outside of your building. The fresh air can do wonders for clearing your head and reducing your anxiety levels.
Speak to Someone
Sometimes, all you need to do to help yourself cope with a stressful professional situation is to say your concerns out loud. Speak to someone about the issues you’re facing, and see whether their input can give you a new perspective on the problems at hand.
Ideally, you’ll want to talk to someone who will only listen to whatever you have to say. Sometimes, the ideal partner will be a co-worker, who knows exactly what it’s like to deal with similar problems in your industry. In other circumstances, you might even feel comfortable talking to your manager about the problems you’re having, and the things you might need help handling.
If you do decide to speak to your line manager, make sure that you don’t come across as though you’re complaining about too much responsibility. Instead, say something like: “I feel like I have a lot to cope with right now, and was wondering if you had any guidance on how to tackle it all?”
Look After Yourself
It’s hard to produce your best work if you’re not caring for your mind and body. A lot of people who feel overwhelm at work end up pushing themselves to work constant twelve-hour days or continuing to work on projects at the weekend because they feel they have too much to do; unfortunately, this rarely ends well.
If you’re sitting in front of your computer, too exhausted to concentrate, and too stressed to sleep, then you’re still not accomplishing anything positive. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to procrastinate. At the same time, exhaustion makes your worries feel bigger and more significant than they really are; which can lead into sending yourself into “panic” mode.
Give yourself some rest, and make sure that you get minimum hours of sleep every night – no matter how much work you have to do.
Know Your Triggers
Finally, when you’re feeling overwhelm at work, it’s important to know exactly which factors are pushing you to the brink. For instance, do you feel like you’re getting too many assignments to handle, or is your boss making you feel overly pressured? If you know what causes the brunt of your concern, you can begin to act and fight back against your nerves.
Keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings to help pinpoint which issues could be causing your unhappy feelings. Once you’ve figured out what’s affecting your mood, you’ll be able to speak to your boss about changes you need to make.
About Resource On Demand
Resource On Demand is Europe’s first specialist Salesforce Recruitment Company. We assist the world’s leading organisations in growing their technology teams. Supporting companies to fill roles that span across digital marketing, marketing automation, Human Capital Management, CRM system management and, Salesforce developer, Salesforce consultant and Salesforce admin jobs.
The team at Resource On Demand have access to an extensive database of key talent, registering over 8000 professionals each year. To find out how we can support you call us on +44 (0)20 8123 7769