| | | | | 4. Allocate Time And Responsibility |
| Stress and Overwhelm | | | | It has been said that we underestimate what we |
| | | | | can achieve in a lifetime and overestimate what |
| Do you ever feel overwhelmed and that no | | | | we can achieve in a year. How true! |
| matter how much you do, it's never enough and | | | | Estimate how much time each action will take |
| you just can't get ahead? Do you have too much | | | | and then add 25% to it to make room for those |
| to do in too little time? | | | | things that life tend to throw at us from time to |
| Close your eyes and feel what overwhelm | | | | time; this ensure that the tasks and deadlines you |
| physically feels like. Some people experience it as | | | | choose are achievable, it totally reduces the |
| a heavy feeling, as if they're drowning or as if | | | | pressure of looming deadlines and then, if you |
| something is pushing down on them or smothering | | | | accomplish the tasks quicker than planned that |
| them. | | | | means you get to do whatever you want in that |
| However you experience overwhelm, I'm going to | | | | time! |
| share with you some simple and practical steps to | | | | |
| help, but first some important background | | | | Now go through each item on the list and, |
| information. | | | | based on how long each of these items will take |
| When we experience overwhelm, our adrenaline | | | | you, decide if this is the best use of your time? |
| and cortisol (stress hormone) levels rise. The | | | | |
| problem with this (other than the fact that our | | | | If you can earn £20, £50 or £100 an hour |
| bodies can become addicted to these higher | | | | doing what you do, doesn't it make it make more |
| levels) is that it inhibits our intellectual abilities; it | | | | sense to pay someone else £10 an hour to do a |
| actually dumbs us down. Usually however, instead | | | | task for you, especially if it's a task you don't like |
| of taking time out to address the problem most | | | | doing or you're not particularly good at? For sure |
| of us continue to push through, thinking that we'll | | | | it does! |
| deal with it later. ‘Later' of course, rarely | | | | If you're thinking you can't afford to pay |
| comes and that is exactly why it is crucial that | | | | someone to do this, here's two new ways of |
| you take some time out during overwhelm to | | | | looking at it. |
| address it; spending an hour a week to help | | | | Think what it's really costing you to do this |
| yourself will save you more than an hour on the | | | | task (in terms of wellbeing and more importantly, |
| long run and probably add years to your life; | | | | what it's keeping you away from) and then ask |
| more importantly, it will significantly improve your | | | | yourself ‘Can I afford not to pay someone |
| quality of life. | | | | to do it?' |
| | | | | |
| Now before we start digging into the details I'd | | | | Instead of saying I can't afford to pay |
| like to tell you a short story. | | | | someone ask yourself ‘How can I afford pay |
| "One day a boy was walking in a forest when he | | | | someone to do this?' |
| came across a man who was chopping down a | | | | |
| tree with an axe. The man wasn't making much | | | | Framing the question that way it helps your |
| progress because the axe had worn blunt from | | | | unconscious mind to help you find a resolution |
| years of use. | | | | rather than just blindly assuming that you can't |
| The boy sat down and watched the man for a | | | | afford to pay them. |
| while and then said ‘Hey, mister, if you go | | | | 5. Now Take These Tasks Off Your To-Do List! |
| down this little footpath here there is a stream. | | | | Once you've decided which tasks you really want |
| By the stream there is a whetstone to sharpen | | | | or need to do yourself, and you've estimated |
| your axe.' | | | | how long they're going to take you, it's time to |
| The man paused, looked at the boy and said, | | | | do something radical: take them off your to-do |
| ‘Can't you see I'm busy?'" | | | | list! Now if you're saying ‘What?' don't worry |
| What does this story have to do with | | | | I've not gone mad .... take them off your to-do list |
| overwhelm? Everything! | | | | and put them in your diary. This accomplishes a |
| Whether you prefer EFT, meditation or breathing | | | | few things with one magic master stroke: |
| to help centre yourself, playing music or spending | | | | It brings perspective which prevents |
| time in nature, I'm going to share with you some | | | | overwhelm. Seeing that all the tasks on your list |
| practical steps that you can implement to prevent | | | | will take you, let's say 4 weeks, or 8 weeks, or 3 |
| and overcome overwhelm. | | | | months, you can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing |
| But let me save you some time right away: if | | | | that you have all that time to accomplish the |
| you're not willing to spend an hour on | | | | tasks. |
| implementing the steps and save yourself hours | | | | It also means that if you go to bed tonight |
| of overwhelm, don't read any further. The steps | | | | and it's not all done yet, you can relax knowing |
| will only work if you implement them! | | | | that's ok and that you still have all that time to |
| | | | | complete it! A great deal of overwhelm is caused |
| So now if you're ready, sit back, relax, and turn | | | | not by a shortage of time, but by expecting |
| the page | | | | ourselves to achieve the impossible. |
| 1. Become The Boss | | | | It helps you focus. If your diary says that |
| The first and most important step is to meet the | | | | you're meant to do 30 minute of research at |
| real boss – you! Put a ‘THE BOSS IS IN' | | | | 10am then at 10am you know exactly what |
| sign up on your desk or just imagine becoming | | | | you're meant to be doing towards your goals; |
| the boss; sit, think and feel as if you are the boss. | | | | when you wake up in the morning, instead of |
| Think about it ... If you aren't the one making | | | | overwhelm, it'll be all there, waiting for you, a clear |
| decisions about your life, who is? | | | | layout of your day and the tasks you have |
| If you work for someone else we're not talking | | | | chosen. [there's a special trick to helping you stick |
| about taking over their role and losing your job in | | | | to this, more about this later!] |
| the process! If you have a boss that decides your | | | | It helps you to prioritise. As you put the tasks |
| work priorities that just means they'll do one of | | | | in your diary and you notice that the way things |
| the most important tasks (prioritising) for you. | | | | are now you're going to get to ‘Book |
| And you can still use the other steps to manage | | | | birthday party venue' 2 weeks after your |
| your time more effectively and reduce | | | | birthday, you |
| overwhelm. | | | | know it's time to re-prioritise; something that |
| | | | | got slotted in earlier must make way for this |
| 2. Get It All In One Place | | | | more important task. |
| Write down everything on your wish-lists and | | | | |
| to-do lists in one place. Using something like Excel | | | | Instead of just cramming more tasks into your |
| works really well for this but paper is ok too. | | | | day, prioritising helps you to understand that |
| Now ask yourself... ‘Why am I doing this | | | | everything can't be done in a day, and that some |
| task? Why is this important to me? What does it | | | | things, well, they just have to wait! It means you |
| mean to me to complete this task? ' | | | | get to do the most important things first which |
| | | | | means things don't become urgent which means ... |
| Unless there's a good reason to do it, why do it | | | | less overwhelm. |
| at all? How important is it really to clear out that | | | | Allow a good couple of hours for this if you have |
| bottom drawer in the kitchen or to re-arrange | | | | a long list; spending this time up front will pay off |
| your CD collection? Would you really rather do | | | | in the long run and more importantly, you'll feel in |
| that instead of spending time with your friends? | | | | charge of your life rather than it being it in charge |
| It's OK if that is true for you but at least this | | | | of you! |
| way you are making a conscious and empowered | | | | Now remember to build in at least 25% extra |
| decision rather than just mindlessly going from | | | | time to cover those unexpected events when |
| task to task, getting more frustrated and | | | | things, people and events won't always line up the |
| de-motivated as you don' seem to ever finish | | | | way you want them to; also remember that you |
| anything. | | | | are not a machine (even though some days you |
| 3. Break Goals Into Tasks | | | | think you are!) and that you need rest, recreation, |
| Check every item on that list; if it's a big or | | | | exercise and sleep to function optimally. If it's |
| general goal like ‘Refurbish house' rather than | | | | important to you to spend a lot of time on |
| a specific task like ‘paint front room, break it | | | | emails, or Facebook, or exercise, build that time |
| down to individual tasks, for example | | | | into your diary so you can do what you love |
| 1. Decide on wall colours for all rooms. | | | | without feeling guilty or thinking that you |
| 2. Buy paint and paintbrushes or, if you're not the | | | | ‘should' be doing something else. |
| one that will be doing the work (we're going to | | | | |
| talk about that later), find a good decorator. | | | | 6. Now Say Goodbye To The Boss (Just For |
| 3. ... The reason why it is important to break | | | | Now!) And Get On With It |
| down your bigger goals into manageable tasks is | | | | Now here's the magic trick that I talked about |
| to keep it manageable and achievable – else it | | | | earlier. Once you've completed your planning, let |
| can easily become overwhelming and | | | | go of being the boss and become the employee, |
| procrastination sets in! | | | | and pretend that the employee that does not |
| Even by the very act of breaking it down you | | | | have the authority to question the boss' decisions! |
| are already starting to reduce overwhelm as you | | | | Trust that the boss has the bigger picture of |
| build confidence in your own ability to accomplish | | | | what's most important. |
| these individual tasks. It also helps you identify | | | | Often when people complain that The Law of |
| which tasks you are able and willing to do, and | | | | Attraction does not work for them, it's because |
| which tasks are best given to someone else. | | | | they miss the most important step – taking |
| A word of warning; don't break down the tasks | | | | action! |
| into too small steps, don't break down ‘Buy | | | | Every time you look at your diary and you don't |
| paint' into mini-steps like getting into the car, | | | | feel like doing something or you're not sure if |
| driving to the hardware store, getting out of the | | | | that's the right thing to be doing now, simply |
| car, walking towards the store etc! | | | | remind yourself that you do not have the |
| What If I Cannot Break The Goals Into Tasks | | | | authority to override the boss, get your head |
| Yet? | | | | down and get on with it! In the end you are doing |
| If the goal is really big or you're not ready to | | | | it for you, aren't you? |
| start it yet, it may be that you don't know yet | | | | At the end of every day take a look at the |
| what the individual tasks are. If you're unable to | | | | tasks on your calendar and notice how you |
| break down a goal into tasks because you're not | | | | completed task after task after task. |
| sure what the tasks are (because the goal is | | | | Acknowledge yourself for a day well spent and |
| huge or because you're not quite ready to start | | | | tasks(s) well done – and celebrate all |
| this yet), you can either:a) Write down a simple | | | | successes! |
| task that you can do to begin like ‘Do 30 | | | | 7. Re-Invite the Boss At Least Once a Week |
| minutes of research on the internet' or ‘Talk | | | | It's important to invite the boss back from time |
| to my friend Barbara who knows about this'. | | | | to time, maybe at the beginning or end of each |
| | | | | day, or maybe once a week to re-evaluate your |
| Orb) Move this to another page called ‘Ideas' | | | | current priorities are still appropriate, re-adjust |
| – which are meant for those ideas that you | | | | them as necessary and then, as tempted as you |
| want to keep track of and will get to once the | | | | may be to remain ‘the boss', let him or her |
| other, more immediate tasks on your list are | | | | go and once again, become the employee, |
| complete. | | | | trusting that ‘the boss' has the bigger picture |
| | | | | and knows best. |
| Measurable Outcome | | | | 8. Tap! |
| Make sure that every task has a measurable | | | | There are some very simple energy tapping |
| outcome. | | | | techniques that can help you with overwhelm; |
| A task of ‘Relax more' does not have a | | | | these techniques are quick and easy to learn and |
| measurable outcome which means that you will | | | | you can apply them to yourself when you need it |
| never know when you've actually completed it. | | | | the most – in the moment. Please visit for |
| ‘Spend at least 30 minutes in the park this | | | | free tapping suggestions. |
| week' does have a measurable outcome which | | | | Help |
| means that you'll know when you've achieved it | | | | I find these steps work for me but only 100% of |
| and as we all know, success breeds success; the | | | | the time and I hope that you found this useful. |
| more you complete your tasks and achieve your | | | | Email me on to arrange your free 20 minute |
| goals (no matter how small they are!) the more | | | | discovery session to help you overcome |
| confidence and natural momentum you'll have | | | | overwhelm. |
| towards achieving those bigger goals. | | | | |