Organize + Energize: 7 Things to do When You are Overwhelmed
Kristin MacRae, GoLocalProv Organizing Expert
Organize + Energize: 7 Things to do When You are Overwhelmed
This overwhelmed feeling can be avoided if you break the process down, put a plan into motion and take a step back and breathe.
Here are 7 things to do when you are overwhelmed:
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTStop. Don’t move. When people are overwhelmed they tend to waste energy. Because they are overwhelmed and are sometimes stuck, they tend to get busy but not productive. Take a minute to step away from the situation and breathe. Before you start bouncing around your home or office, take a minute to empty your mind. Plan your next move and waste less energy.
Empty your mind. Sit for a few minutes and just empty your mind. Jot down everything you have to do and everything that is running through your mind. Don’t worry about the order of things you need to do, just write. Once your thoughts are on paper then you can break them down and organize them. You may find you have a sense of relief after you do this. Now that everything is on paper, it’s not as bad as you thought it was. You can now get a solid plan of what you need to accomplish and use this to-do list as a guide.
Just say no. It’s ok to say no. If you have the option to say no, do it. Sometimes you have to say “no” at the time so you can focus on more important things that are going on in your life.
Don’t procrastinate. If you have time to tackle your task now, do it. You may get busy and as your deadline approaches, you may not have the time to spend on this. Block off some time when you work your best and just do it.
Break it down. Break the process down into pieces. Once you break the process down, it’s not going to be as overwhelming as you thought. People tend to look at the big picture and think that it’s just too much and they shut down and nothing gets done or they wait until the last minute. Map out your project and tackle in small increments.
Step away. Go for a walk, exercise, get some fresh air or go shopping. Stepping away from the situation will clear your mind and help you focus. When you go back to your project you will be more productive and have a clearer vision of what you need to accomplish.
Relax. This feeling of overwhelm will pass. It’s not the end of the world. If you put a plan into motion of how you are going to attack your project, the end result will be amazing. You will look back and say, “Wow, that wasn’t so bad.”
This too shall pass. Following all of the tips above will help you get a handle on your situation. You may find you were wasting energy and creating more work for yourself in the past. Sometimes situations aren’t as bad as they seem, but we tend to make more out of a situation because we dive head first without a plan or process. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed, approach it differently and then observe how you feel after you have completed your project.
10 Minute Organizing Projects
Spices
As you take all of the spices out of the cabinet, check for expiration dates and smell for potency. Categorize and itemize your spices to how you utilize them. Contain them in a spice rack that fits the space where they are kept. Don’t purchase a spice rack until you are finished organizing. You want to measure the space and make sure the rack fits and holds all of your spices. There are a variety of spice racks out there. Choose the one that best suits what you need it to hold.
Makeup
How many items do you touch in the morning to find what you need? You want to be as efficient as possible in the morning and having your makeup organized will be a big time saver. Do you have difficulty deciding what to keep or toss? When is it time to throw away makeup? Aline Sarkis, a Providence, RI-based makeup artist, states lipstick can be used for 2 years or until it starts to smell like a crayon. Mascara is good for 2-3 months. Eye shadow is good for 2 years and foundation is good for 1-2 years. Aline also states that some makeup and skincare will be marked with an expiration date of 6-12 months. Begin counting once you start using the product
Women: Purse
Depending on the size of your purse, and what you keep in your purse, this may take you a little longer than 10 minutes. Empty the entire contents of the purse on a table. Declutter, categorize, and itemize the contents. Break this process down and take it one category at a time. Develop a system going forward so the inside of your purse doesn’t look like a cyclone hit it. Contain receipts, gift cards, money, and makeup.
Men: Wallet
It’s time to empty all of the receipts out of your wallet. Do you also store receipts and random items in your car? While you are tackling this project, head over to your vehicle and declutter the center console and glove compartment.
Underwear drawer
If you aren’t using drawer organizers, you should start now. They are very inexpensive and will maximize the space in the drawer. How many of you wear the same item over and over again? With drawer organizers in place, you will be able to see everything you own and can categorize and itemize. Nothing will ever get pushed to the bottom of the drawer again.
Under the bathroom sink
If you haven’t taken everything out of this area in awhile, you may find some scary items under the sink. Empty the contents, itemize, and categorize. Throw away anything that you can’t recognize. Contain items in containers that fit the space like a puzzle. Once again, utilizing containers will maximize the space and allow you to store more items. Develop a simple system where you can locate items and locate them quickly.
Pets
Ninety percent of my clients have a pet. It’s time to organize their belongings. Medicine, leashes, bandanas, clothes, dishes, food, etc. Take this time to also organize any paper work related to your pet. Set up a filing system for your pet. Keep their medical records, rabies and vaccination information categorized in these files.
Junk drawer
Nobody says you can’t have a junk drawer. Junk drawers can be organized. You just have to think about if you need everything in this drawer and if there is a better place to store the items. Remember, store like items together. If you have tools in the junk drawer, maybe you should keep them with the tools in the basement.
Office supply drawer
So many people have office supply drawers that are out of control. Money is wasted on purchasing duplicate office supplies. It’s very difficult to figure out what you need to purchase if items are scattered all over the office and are disorganized.
Top of your office desk
If you can’t see the top of your desk, take this time to focus on this area and categorize and itemize what is there. Do you have a working filing system in place? If so, once your desk is cleared, make a habit of filing once a day or a couple of times a week. If your system isn’t working for you, it may be time for you to re-evaluate your system and make it work for the way you function.
