How to deal with being overwhelmed

Let me tell you what my next four weeks will look like. I’m getting ready for my book signing event on Saturday. And I’m doing taxes for everyone in my family because I was a bookkeeper and volunteer tax preparer in a past life. And I’m judging a book contest. And I have a busy schedule with multiple deadlines at work. And I have dental and doctor appointments. And I have all the odds and ends and errands and assorted things to do. But I’m not complaining. Really, I’m not. Because I’ve learned how to deal with multiple competing pressures that can overwhelm a person.

One of the most practical classes I took as a teenager was a College Success course before I went to UCLA. It taught me skills in time management and planning that I’ve used ever since. I passed along some of these skills to intermediate school students in 2006.

Here are some tips that can help you when you feel overwhelmed.

Make checklists

One of the most important apps I use is Microsoft OneNote. There I keep all of my checklists and notes. When I feel overwhelmed, I create a checklist of all the tasks I need to do and break them down into sub-steps. Then, I check them off as I go along or add notes if there is information I need. If I have to wait to complete tasks, I can take care of some other tasks in the meantime.