How to Beat Overwhelm At Work
How to Beat Overwhelm at Work
Overwhelmed is a common feeling, and it is very destructive. It causes self-doubts, demotivation and stress. People feel overwhelmed when they imagine themselves to be unequal to the tasks or circumstances that face them. With the right knowledge and method, you can beat overwhelm.
Main Causes of Feeling Overwhelmed
There are two main causes:
- Being overwhelmed by the volume of work
- Being overwhelmed by the complexity of work
How to Beat Overwhelmed by Volume
To beat being overwhelmed by volume, you must prioritise. You cannot do all tasks at once. You can only do one thing at a time, so you must decide what to do first, what to do later and what to drop.
You prioritise by three things:
- Value
- Deadline pressure
- Logical necessity
Prioritise by Value
Not everything is of equal value. Judge value by how much a task brings you closer to your major definite purpose (MDP), the overriding goal you are trying to achieve.
The more a task contributes to the major definite purpose, the higher you place it on the list. The less it contributes, the lower it goes.
Prioritise by Deadline Pressure
All tasks must be done by a certain time. Not all deadlines are equal.
- Give higher priority to valuable tasks with short deadlines.
- Give lower priority to tasks with long or no deadlines, especially if they have low value.
Prioritise by Logical Necessity
Some tasks must be done before others. These are prerequisites or preconditions, gateway jobs that allow other work to happen. Recognise which jobs are gateway jobs and do them first.
For example, you cannot follow a plan before you have written it, and you cannot write a plan before you have established the goal and the truth about the current situation. You put your socks on before your boots.
How to Beat Being Overwhelmed by Complexity
The second cause of overwhelm is complexity. Here, the problem is not how many tasks you have, but that one task looks too big and confusing. You do not know where to start. The cure is division and classification.
Understand the Hierarchical Structure of Tasks
Every complex task has a hierarchical structure. You can understand it by looking for four levels:
- Essentials
- Major branches
- Minor branches
- Details
First, identify the essentials, which are the fundamental elements of the situation. Second, identify the major branches, which grow out of the essentials. Third, identify the minor branches, which grow from each major branch. Finally, look at the details, which are like the leaves of the tree.
Divide and Classify
When you face a complex task, do not stare at the whole thing and freeze. Instead, divide and classify. Ask:
- What are the essentials?
- What are the major branches?
- What are the minor branches?
- What are the details?
Summary: Beating the Feeling of Overwhelmed
You beat being overwhelmed by method:
- For volume, prioritise by value, deadline pressure and logical necessity.
- For complexity, divide and classify into essentials, major branches, minor branches and details.
When you do this, you stop imagining that you are unequal to the tasks that face you and you beat the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Definition: Task prioritisation
Task prioritisation is a simple work method. You score each job on value, due time and logical need, then choose what to do now, what to delay and what to drop. By fitting jobs to your time and resource limits, the method cuts stress and speeds progress.
Show CG4D Definition
- Ranks each task by value, deadline and logical order
- Sets a clear do-now, delay or drop choice
- Matches choices to current time and resource limits
- Aims to boost goal progress while lowering stress
Article Summary
Work overwhelm fades when you treat it in two clear ways: first, rank each task by value, time need and what must come first; second, split any big, tangled job into linked, bite-size steps. This simple habit swaps noisy stress for calm, steady progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
What is the first step when I feel overwhelmed at work?
How do I set task priority when workload volume is huge?
What counts as a gateway task?
How can I break down big jobs that look complex?
Why does dividing work ease stress at work?
How do value and time limits work together?
What should I do after ranking and dividing tasks?
Thought of something that's not been answered? Ask Us Today!
Did You Know: Key Statistics
A 2023 CIPD study finds 44% of UK staff feel overwhelmed by their work at least once each week. The 2024 Asana "Anatomy of Work" study shows staff who set a clear task order finish 25% more work and report 14% less stress.About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
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