The Importance of Prioritization
Overwhelm was a part of our lives way before the Covid-19 pandemic. It's something I often speak about and something that many of our clients have expressed challenges with. But boy! how this unprecedented scene of the world has left many of us (even a professional organizer) grasping at straws.
I know how to make a plan but it's very hard to do so when daily, or even hourly, things have to quickly pivot. These changes and day-to-day problem-solving are not just "normal" challenges but those that involve and could possibly endanger the lives of us and our family. These challenges could also endanger our livelihood and even if we know how we are personally surviving day to day we worry about the wellbeing of our friends and family. All the while, we have to try to be emotionally together enough to work, homeschool the kids, prepare every meal and clean and disinfect like it's going out of style. Times like this, it's hard not getting sucked into despair and spend too much time watching the news, on social media, or viewing your favorite streaming service.
Talk about overwhelming!
Although most of us are stuck at home, overwhelm doesn't always come from the nature of doing. It often starts in the mind. The many thoughts swirling around that create a sense of overwhelm.
Creative people often have the most struggle with these challenges, as creative thinking is usually very abstract and less linear as conventional productivity and time-management processes use. I just purchased and plan on reading this book:
My friend and fellow-creative, Photographer Danielle Finney (who has done my headshots since 2013), wrote a fantastic blog in November. The tips are how she deals with overwhelm as not only a business owner and creative but someone who has been very vocal in dealing with depression and anxiety.
I got her permission to repost her wonderful musings and tips and I know you'll enjoy it:
YOURS TRULY, THE OVERTHINKER | 3 THINGS I'VE FOUND HELPFUL
November 5, 2019
I’m way overdue for a blog post… I decided to take an unplanned, but much needed break, and I’m glad I did! I realized that I’ve been dealing with quite a bit of self-imposed overwhelm, and it was increasingly causing me more and more anxiety. Thankfully, last month my therapist reminded me of the importance of prioritization and in the days following my session, I was able to be more focused and productive than I had been in weeks!
What made the difference? Focusing on fewer things. Such a novel idea, I know lol. But man… actually putting it in practice? Made a world of difference.
So today I want to share 3 things that I’ve found helpful to give my overactive brain some structure and help me move through overthinking paralysis.
ONE Brain dump- often. I write out everything that’s swirling around in my mind causing me anxiety… often it’s very task heavy, but...
Read the rest on her blog by clicking here.
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Andrea Hancock is a Professional Organizer and Owner of Dexterous Organizing, a professional organizing and lifestyle company serving the Washington, DC Metro area. Andrea has been organizing professionally since 2010 and has completed the foundation courses in the Coach Approach for Organizers Training. She believes mostly anyone can create the organizational system that works for their lives through training, awareness, and consistent efforts.