It’s not unusual to feel a bit overwhelmed at this time of year. Why? Well, if you have children there are all the end of year school activities. These include awards ceremonies, class parties, prom, graduation ceremonies and parties, athletic competitions and the list goes on. If you don’t have children the groups you belong to may be winding down, finishing up activities.
Then there is the yard. If you live in the South you may be changing out the winter annual plants and replacing them with the spring/summer colorful annuals. If you live in the North you may be guarding the tender perennials that are just starting to grow. In fact, yesterday my sister told me they were expecting snow in Vermont. She was concerned that the plants that were poking their heads out of the ground might be damaged by freezing temperatures!
What to do about this feeling of having so many things to do and a finite amount of time?
First of all, BREATHE!
When I’m feeling this way, overwhelmed, I sometimes forget to take deep breathes. How about you?
Start by getting out your calendar and noting all the due dates.
Then get out a sheet of paper and write down the steps you need to take to bring each event to completion.
Some events may just be a matter of getting there on time. Others may need you to take some actions – like buying or making cookies for a class party or planning a pre-prom parent party!
Once you have broken each of these tasks down into steps get your calendar back out and schedule those steps into your planner. Take into account your regular chores and activities and be sure to allow travel time or set up and clean up time.
I know that this is something I have just done for myself as I was feeling overwhelmed by all the little tasks I have to complete in the next few weeks. I was definitely feeling overwhelmed and under-prepared. Writing everything down and breaking the tasks into their steps helped me. I hope it helps you too.
Tags: calendar, children, overwhelming, Planning, schedule
Dnq Solutions's Weblog 
April 27, 2016 at 12:54 pm |
There are times when our commitments seem to exceed the available hours in the day. That’s when I feel overwhelmed. I also get overwhelmed when the commitments drain rather than give me energy. And some take a bigger emotional toll than others. When that happens, I need to check in with myself and make sure I’m taking care of the basics…like sleeping enough, hydrating, getting fresh air, eating nutritiously, and as you said…DEEP BREATHING. I also need to “go easy” on myself. I expect a lot of myself. But that pressure is self-imposed. So I have to remind myself of that and let go of some of that pressure, refocus, and give myself a break. From there I can plan and reorganize my time to take the next action steps. But if my mind isn’t cooperating, then no amount of planning will help.
April 28, 2016 at 8:11 am |
Overwhelm just creeps up on us, doesn’t it? Breathing really does help because it is an antidote to creeping anxiety. The list is often long, but it isn’t of equal importance, so prioritizing can really help.
April 29, 2016 at 6:03 pm |
I feel less overwhelmed in Colorado then when I did in Memphis! In Memphis we would already be pulling weeds and opening the pool! Here in Colorado we are getting our hopefully last wintry mix weather. However, I am busy with work and school is out in three weeks so we are rushing to get some projects done before our son is home all day! 🙂 Thanks for the great tips Diane!
May 2, 2016 at 12:56 pm |
It’s not surprising that we are overwhelmed in May. It’s another month like December filled to the brim. The first step is to anticipate this and keep your calendar close at hand. If you can say no to a commitment, knowing this busy month is ahead, it’s a good time to do so.