Quick take: Overwhelm and procrastination tend to feed each other. The way out is rarely working harder. It is doing the right things first, breaking big jobs into small steps, telling someone what you are aiming for and building one habit at a time. The ebook Stop Feeling Overwhelmed and Reset Your Life, from my ETSY shop, covers all of this in plain, practical terms.

If you want to stop feeling overwhelmed, it helps to look at what is actually going on.

Usually there is a long list. Some of it is important, some of it isn’t, and it all seems to need doing at once.

So we put off the big job and do something easier instead. The list doesn’t get any shorter, and the feeling gets worse.

That is what Stop Feeling Overwhelmed and Reset Your Life  is about. It is an ebook in my ETSY shop, and it deals with procrastination, routines, habits and managing your time.

Five Ways to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

 

Here are five ideas from the book.

1. Understand That procrastination Isn’t Laziness

Most people who procrastinate aren’t idle at all. They are busy doing something else. The book’s example is a writer who cleans the whole house rather than work on an assignment due in two days.

Fear plays a big part. Fear of getting it wrong, fear of making a decision, or simply wanting it to be perfect.

Seeing that in yourself is the first step to doing something about it.

2. Do the Right Things Before Doing Things Right

The book makes a useful distinction between being effective and being efficient.

Effective means working on the things that actually move you towards your goal. Efficient means doing a task quickly and well.

Both matter. But being very efficient at the wrong job gets you nowhere. I wrote about something similar in The Illusion of Progress, the difference between being busy and actually getting somewhere.

 3. Break the Job Into Parts

A big job with no clear steps is easy to put off.

Split it into separate pieces and give each one a rough time. Suddenly you know what to do next, and it is something small.

4. Find an Accountability Partner

 

Tell someone you trust what you are aiming for, and ask them to check on your progress now and again.

It is surprising how much easier it is to get on with something when you know somebody will ask about it.

5. Build One Habit at a Time

Trying to change everything at once is a good way to feel even more overwhelmed.

Pick the one habit that matters most. Decide where it fits into your day. Then stick with it until it feels normal before adding the next.

Slow and steady really does win here.

What Else Is in the Ebook?

Alongside these ideas, it covers why routines help, making room for some “me time”, tuning out distractions, staying motivated, rewarding yourself, replacing bad habits with better ones and seven tips for managing your time.

It ends with a chapter of ideas used by people who get a lot done, such as giving each day a theme, protecting your time and keeping work and personal life separate.

The sections on sleep, food and stress are general everyday habits, not medical advice.

Want to Take a Look?

Stop Feeling Overwhelmed and Reset Your Life is available from my  shop.

Get Stop Feeling Overwhelmed here 

There is no need to take my word for it. Have a look at the listing and decide whether it suits you.