So your dreading Monday. You know there is a heap of work waiting for you and you feel overwhelmed before you even open up your laptop. Colleagues have been chasing you for responses and you’re fed up of chasing stakeholders. There are so many projects to manage and it’s impossible to know where to start. And let’s NOT TALK about the presentation you have to deliver, which by the way you are dreading and the content is not ready.
How do I know this?
Because that is how I used to be. Work would pile up and I felt overwhelmed. I didn’t know where to start and I would procrastinate because it was too much to handle. I would react to requests regardless of what my priorities were, meaning that I had no control over my week. It was exhausting, as I never felt a sense of accomplishment and it left me focussing on negative thoughts and my faults.
How did we get here?
There are many reasons we feel out of control at work and here are the most common situations.
Bad habits have crept in … we stop planning and blocking out time in our diary. As the day begins we automatically go to our emails before looking at what we have the in the calendar. This results in making everybody else’s request a priority with little time to focus on our work.
You don’t have the answer… we feel that we should know everything at work and the reality is this can never be achieved. We may not be the subject matter expert and we forget to reach out to others. By default we tell ourselves that we have to solve everything and its all on our shoulders.
We don’t ask for help…it’s one of the last things we do because of the fear of being judged. We are firmly in fixed mindset and so we struggle along, trying to figure it out on our own. The thought of asking questions or saying that you need help makes us feel vulnerable.
Its Costing you!
Eats into your weekends … you can’t switch off. You know what is waiting for you on Monday and no matter how much you try and ignore this the feelings and thoughts are always there. This means you are not recharging at the weekend.
Confidence takes a hit… the negative thoughts and feelings eats into your confidence at work. Because we don’t have control over our week it can lead us to think we are not good enough and we start to compare ourselves to others.
It all starts to spiral… you are constantly in a state of dread, panic, stress and the feeling that everything is out of control. You wellbeing is impacted and so other areas of your life start to spiral. Healthy eating habits go out of the window along with any exercise. You have no energy in the evenings for your loved ones and family.
As you start your day. Stop defaulting to opening emails at the beginning of your day. Go to you calendar and plan your week. Block out time for everything. You need to get your control back.
Priorities. What are the main things you must complete no matter what. List the priorities and the to-dos that must be accomplished today and DO these before you getting trapped in your inbox and other peoples agendas.
Ask for help. Look around your network and start to be open. The highest performers are not afraid to ask for help as they see it as a strength and they want to learn. Asking for help brings an element of control back as you now know the answer to what you needed to move forward.
Common sense isn’t always common practise
These simple techniques will make a huge difference to your week. Its all about control and planning. I know you will start to see results immediately and you will gain a sense of accomplishment.
You will allow yourself to switch off after work because you know that you have worked on your priorities and your work is progressing.
Your energy will increase because you know that you have control at work and so you’ve moved away from the feeling of stress and overwhelm.
It’s comforting to have someone to discuss ideas, share options, and talk things through. Whether you’re striving to lead a team or seeking personal growth, we all need a trusted confidant who we can share our struggles and concerns with.
Together, we can navigate any doubts, concerns and insecurities you may have. But it is important to understand that during these moments of vulnerability that having a coach by your side becomes invaluable.
Ive always been blessed with the knowledge that life is precious and I waste no time living my life with meaning, courage and being fearless. You deserve the same too.
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I believe in you…..You’ll See.