It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when the workload starts to pile up. As someone graduating in four months, I can relate a lot to the feeling of everything piling up and not knowing what to do. So in today's blog post, I thought I'd share some of the things I do when I feel overwhelmed and unsure how to tackle that workload. This is mostly aimed at students, but can apply to other areas of life.
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| My work set up at home |
Lists
I am a strong believer in the power of lists. I find that by making a list I can easily organise everything I need to. When I start making a list, at first I just jot things down. I like to write a first draft digitally, so I can go and add things if I need to. If it's a to do list, I will write down all the things I need to do. Often, there is quite a lot and it isn't just for one thing. It could be for uni, within that there's my different modules. It could be blogging or random things I need to do. I then sort it into categories. After sorting it into categories, I then write it on paper.
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| My most recent to do list, split into days and colour coordinated |
My favourite thing about physical lists is colour coordinating. I've come to learn that I'm a very visual person. Above is a photo of a recent to do list. It's broken down into days and then tasks that need completing on those days. Lists help keep track of everything and have helped me to stay on top of things. Plus there are so many different ways to make a list which means you'll be able to find the perfect way for you.
Time Management
This might seem fairly self explanatory and to some degree it is. Learn how to manage your time and that workload will vanish overnight. Or that's how it seems. I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm actually not very good at time management. I try to be, but it really isn't one of my strong suits. So if you're anything like me, here are some tips for how to get better at time management and use it to help with that workload.
The key I've found is to break it down into manageable chunks. Again, this seems obvious but it isn't always. When things start to pile it up, it can be overwhelming and hard to work out how to tackle it. By breaking it down into manageable chunks, you make something that seems impossible actually possible. Work out how much time a task will take and how much you actually have to give. These are two similar but different things. Say a task might take you twenty minutes, give yourself thirty just in case you need a bit of wiggle room. It takes a long time to become good at time management, years of practice. Don't beat yourself up if you haven't mastered it overnight.
Organisation Methods
There are lots of organisation methods out there, so this part is about finding a method that works for you. Personally I am a physically writing it down type of person. I have a planner that I use to write stuff I want to get done and if I have any work that needs completing for another date. I also use it to keep a track of my deadlines and see what I've got coming up. I have a wall calendar as well that I use to keep an overview of everything. Colour coordinating is a big part of how I stay organised. Each of my modules has a different colour, so from a glance I can see what is due when. Within my planner, to do tasks are in a different colour to things that are happening on certain days. It's taken me a while to cultivate this system but I have found that it does help me keep on top of work.
It may seem like procrastinating but take some time to find out what sort of organisation method works for you. Once you've found something, it will stick and you'll be able to use it to keep on top of that workload. I'd recommend trying seeing if you're a digital or physical person. You could like more traditional planners or you might like the bullet journal style. There's so much out there which means you'll find something that works for you.
Take a Break
It can be hard when everything starts to get the better of you to give yourself breaks. They are so important. I am just as guilty as the next person of having the mindset of getting everything done then essentially passing out afterwards. This is a really unhealthy mindset. It doesn't have to be a super long break, even five minutes can be enough to give yourself a rest.
I'd recommend the pomodoro method. I know a lot of people who trust this method. It's where you work for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break. You are encouraged to use these five minutes doing anything that isn't work related. It could be making a cup of tea or feeding a pet. Give yourself those small breaks that you deserve as you'll be able to do more work without feeling tired or burnt out.
The main take aways from this post to tackle that workload are that a lot of what goes into it is planning. It's working out how to get stuff done, rather than getting stuff done. I spend a good chunk of time planning what I'm going to do each day. It's also vital to take breaks. To anyone out there looking to find ways to tackle that workload, I hope this post helped.
Carenza :) x
