Overloaded?

A few weeks ago, at work, I was flat out, There was nothing I could do to keep up with the amount of emails, tasks or projects I was dealing with. It felt out of control and catching up would be impossible.

My colleague and I worked hard to do what we could but no matter what it still felt like ‘catching up’ was a long way off. I had a good discussion with my manager about it, and she was understanding, she could see there was a lot for us to achieve.

I have always had busy roles but most had peaks and troughs and never felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. After the chat with my manager it dawned on me, I was comparing this workplace to other places I have been. Whilst the role is the same, no two places will be the same. So this workload was never going to ease off. This was normal.

I realised then I wasn’t ever going to catch up or get close and I had to change my way of dealing with this. So I did.

I stopped trying to do so many things at once and focused instead on 3 things each day in between the meetings and other tasks to do. I pretty much put a stop to the pressure I was piling on to complete so many things and began to feel better for the small achievements I had each day.

I am learning to say ‘not now’ to people, which is tough but for my own sanity I need to have some control over the amount of work coming in.

Despite this epiphany happening only a few weeks ago, I already feel less stressed as I know this is the norm so I am not expected to do everything all at once. I will never clear the decks (not that I did in other workplaces, but it was more manageable). Instead, I will do what I can to alleviate the pressure on myself and work through each task until complete, without feeling the need to do everything quickly or all at once. I prioritise and do what I can and leave work each day knowing I have done my best.

Are you ‘stuck’ at work on how to prioritise or where to start or even you can’t see a way out of the pile of emails/tasks building up in front of you. As difficult as this may be, stop for a moment, grab a piece of paper and pen or use a whiteboard or word doc to start planning things out. Here are some ideas to help:

1. Write down what it is that takes up most of your time. Is there a specific task or process that has to be completed but takes up time? Is it a regular task? Do they have to be done weekly then book time in your calendar each week to complete. Can you split the tasks up into smaller chunks, then do it, instead of having a 2 hour session in your diary, make it 4 half hours if it can be done in stages.
2. If you are met by a never ending mountain of emails, then split your day into a morning and afternoon routine. First thing in the morning go through your emails and mark which ones will need to be complete. Then spend an hour doing these and if you need more time, book it in your diary. Do the same in the afternoon, look at emails and prioritise those you need to work on.
3. Move on to other tasks or projects requiring your attention. Work through these. But don’t try to work on all your projects at once. Instead pick up to 3 to focus on each day. Any time you have spare during the day, or book time in your diary to work on these 3 tasks. Give them your undivided attention. Avoid distractions, if people come to chat with you, be polite but ask them to return at another time when you will happily discuss with them.
4. Remember you are one person, so don’t try to do everything. People are always good at reminding you for things if they haven’t heard from you. It could be you work on the ‘who shouts loudest’ theory for a while until you pick your way through your tasks/projects and emails until it is more manageable. That’s ok if you can do that. Once you have less on your plate and can focus on prioritising you won’t be reliant on people having to chase you.
5. Are there times in your year where you know it get busy, for example appraisal time? If so plan it in and ensure to block out time in your diary to focus on this.
6. Once a month I spend a day catching up with things I haven’t got to yet. I block the full day out in my diary and have no meetings or anything scheduled. I then work on what I need to and feel a sense of satisfaction in doing so. However, I am always over ambitious. Instead of picking 3 things to do, I end up with a list of about 20 and think I will get through it. So be realistic. Pick 2 things to look at on those days and have a 3rd waiting should you get time.

There are so many way to deal with a hectic workload, you have to find one that works best for you. Play about with various things to see what suits you and your work style. Don’t be afraid to give it a go. I have tried a number of things up to this point and it wasn’t until I realised I can’t compare where I am now to where I have been, so what worked in other places, will not work where I am.

I hope this has given you some ideas to help with a crazy workload. You will likely come up with plenty yourself, suitable for the work you do and the industry you are in.

Thank you for reading, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Look after you! Love Emma xx