Overwhelm
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Focus on only a few goals at a time and take it one step at a time to avoid overwhelming yourself.
Trying to tackle everything at once causes overwhelm.
3 people, independently
Identify the most urgent task and set a timer for five minutes to work on it.
You will often want to continue after the timer goes off.
one person who lived it
Add breaks, such as an hour-long walk outside, to your schedule.
Downtime and white space are necessary for creativity, peak performance, and having new ideas; rest is part of the work.
one person who lived it
Spend a few minutes daily clearing your mind of thoughts to gain cognitive control.
Clearing the mind can create cognitive control.
one person who lived it
Write down trivial tasks like 'get out of bed' and cross them off.
This builds momentum and creates a positive feedback loop during slumps.
one person who lived it
- Write down every small task needed for a goal, then cross each off as you finish it.1
Stop looking for life tricks and cheats; do things correctly or not at all to avoid slowing your progress.
Looking for tricks slows down progress.
one person who lived it
Split your tasks into 'now' and 'later' categories.
This makes days feel less heavy and more doable.
one person who lived it
- Accept that you cannot complete everything today; choose one task that advances life and one that reduces stress, letting the rest wait.1
Define clearly what 'finishing' means for the day beforehand to improve how you feel at night.
Having a clear sense of completion leads to feeling better in the evenings.
- Based on one person's experience
one person who lived it
Break down large parent tasks into smaller, manageable pieces that you can chew on.
Crossing out these smaller items gives you a feeling of accomplishment and encouragement to keep going.
3 people, independently
26 more on this
Place a couple of easy, low-effort tasks like showering or walking the dog at the top of your to-do list.
It helps you get going and provides the satisfaction of marking items off.
one person who lived it
Avoid letting dreaded tasks, such as late bills, accumulate in your life.
Life tends to go better when these items are not floating around.
one person who lived it
Replace 'To-Do' lists with 'Could Do' lists to remove the sense of obligation and view tasks as optional possibilities.
To-Do lists create obligations, whereas Could Do lists frame tasks as what you could do with the day.
2 people, independently
Tackle your most important tasks first before filling your day with smaller, less important tasks.
If you start with small tasks, your day fills up with unimportant work, causing big tasks to accumulate.
2 people, independently
Allocate time for doing nothing to reflect on what is important and become more creative.
Humans are beings, not just doers; constant doing leads to losing control of time.
one person who lived it
Go for a walk to get more oxygen and circulate blood, which helps clear the mind.
It gets you out of a trapped room, increases oxygen, and circulates blood.
one person who lived it
Select one anchor task daily that defines a successful day; treat all other tasks as optional to ease guilt.
Closing the day with this intentional focus reduces feelings of guilt.
- Based on one person's experience
one person who lived it
Draw a cross on paper to create four boxes titled 'must do', 'should do', 'could do', and 'I'd like do' to categorize tasks.
The last category acts as a reward or relaxation to keep you motivated.
one person who lived it
Cut down on or eliminate urgent but unimportant items (Quadrant 3).
These are time sinks caused by poor planning rather than true emergencies.
one person who lived it
Take a shower if you are feeling bad or stressed, as it is relaxing.
It is relaxing.
one person who lived it
Rearrange your time to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier to dedicate 20 minutes to moving your body.
Upholding this promise to yourself clarifies priorities and direction.
one person who lived it
Focus on important tasks.
Otherwise, they will not get done.
one person who lived it
Go for a walk or run during or after stressful periods.
The stress hormones will fulfill their purpose and be exhausted through the physical movement.
one person who lived it
Repeat the mantra 'do it now' out loud during your morning routine to train your brain to act immediately rather than procrastinating out of fear of failure.
Lists can be used to procrastinate due to fear of failure; this trains the brain to do things now.
one person who lived it
Focus on tasks and execute them to regain a sense of control.
Being back in control helps manage overwhelm.
one person who lived it
Visualize how much better life will be after stopping worrying about a specific task.
It helps you get over the hump.
one person who lived it
Set a daily schedule and focus only on the present moment by blocking out thoughts about the future.
We often feel overwhelmed because we fear being out of control if we don't act immediately.
one person who lived it
Watch educational content like TED Talks, Big Think, or The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to see outside yourself.
This helped one person see outside of themselves.
one person who lived it
When overwhelmed by small tasks, step back and do a simple, productive activity like cooking, taking a long shower, organizing clothes, or grocery shopping to clear your mind.
These small tasks make you feel productive and distracted.
one person who lived it
Read 'Getting Things Done' by David Allen to handle productivity overwhelm.
The book is described as perfect for this purpose.
one person who lived it
Adopt a values-based approach to goals: identify core values first, let activities flow from them, and discard those that do not serve a value.
one person who lived it
Assign specific times for overwhelming responsibilities to prevent them from intruding on other parts of your life.
To stop responsibilities from getting in the way of enjoying life.
one person who lived it
Mark completed tasks off with a highlighter for visual satisfaction.
It is very satisfying.
one person who lived it
Frame tasks by celebrating the completion of any single item rather than viewing partial progress as failure.
This mindset provides dopamine for each small accomplishment, which supports productivity.
one person who lived it
Cross out completed items from your to-do list to gain satisfaction and motivation.
7 people, independently
Read 'The Now Habit' by Neil Fiore for strategies on overcoming procrastination.
4 people, independently