Being a blogger and even making your living from blogging is amazing. However, it does come with it’s own set of problems; long hours, lots of stress, and to-do lists that are often off the scale. Add in your family, pets, friends and the demands of daily life and it can be very easy to become overwhelmed.
As bloggers, we tend to do everything ourselves on our blogs and so we can be trying to focus on design, promotion, fixing issues, finances and everything else. Where do you start? As we work for ourselves, we impose our own schedule and priorities and this is where the overwhelm can start to creep in. We can, if we are not careful, become almost paralysed into inaction because we are analysing every aspect of what we should do, and consequently end up doing very little as a result.
I’m not immune to this and although I blog frequently about productivity and even offer a 5 day productivity challenge (you can sign up for free!), I still fall foul to overwhelm. There’s always so much to do, so much to learn, so many possibilities.
Today, I’m going to share how I move forward when overwhelm threatens to leave me hiding under the duvet!
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Evaluate
Do a time and motion study on how you spend your blogging time. How much time do you actually spent tab clicking, or scrolling through Facebook? Write it all down, then you can see where you are wasting your time and start to eliminate these time sucks from your day.
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Prioritise
It might sound too simplistic, but first things first. Evaluate what you have to get done each day. Top of my list is content I have been paid to produce, then things I have agreed to do for others, then my own content, then the ‘other’ stuff.
The paid for content is non-negotiable, as you have committed to producing that. Add in at the top of your list anything else that is non-negotiable. These non negotiables aren’t just things with a financial reward, but they are things that add value to your life in some way.
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When you agree to do a project jump in with both feet
If we are feeling overwhelmed we often feel a little unsettled. This means when we agree to do something, we can still be thinking about the other possibilities, whether this is right, what else we have to do and so on. So reduce the possibility of conflicting demands, if you are working then work if possible in another room. If you are playing with your kids, then do that and put your phone somewhere you won’t be tempted to pick it up. Invest in each thing you do, even if it’s just for a short time. This will also reduce the guilt we often feel, when we are trying to juggle all of our priorities.
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Say no more often
I have written before about how saying no can be good for your blog and business. I totally believe that not only is it empowering to say no to things which don’t fit well with your blog, aren’t well paid enough or that simply don’t light your fire; it can actually make PRs see you in a different light to those people blogging just for what they can get out of it.
When you are deciding which opportunities to accept, don’t accept them all. Think about which align with your goals and which you will enjoy taking part in.
Remember saying yes to things, means you are going to be taking time away from things you want to do, being with your kids, ‘you time’, time with family, whatever it is make sure it is worth it.
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Fight back against your overwhelm
When overwhelm strikes fight back. Find your way of working it out, whether it’s brain dumping all of the things whizzing round your head and then making lists; whatever works for you. Use the fight or flight response to your benefit and fight!
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Use timers
Give the tasks you are working on 100% focus and use timers if they help create a sense of motivation and urgency for you.
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Simplify
Sometimes if our overwhelm reoccurs, then we may need to revisit what we are committing our time/resources to and assess whether that’s still beneficial to us at the current time. Do you need to take part in hundreds of linkys, do you need to be as active in Facebook groups? Assess where you spend time, what’s overwhelming you, see if you still benefit from those actions and if not simplify these things.
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Is a specific thing overwhelming you?
Seth Godin was interviewed by Tim Ferriss about entrepreneurial block. Seth says, “You get blocked, not because you’re not passionate about what you’re doing but because you are afraid.” Seth recommends to conquer this you need to do three things: 1) Be clear of what you are afraid of, 2) Know why you are afraid, 3) Commit to dancing with the fear because it will never go away.
So if you are overwhelmed by video, but you know doing video would be really good for your blog/business and would help you reach your audience more effectively. Then Seth would advise you to delve into what scares and makes you feel overwhelmed about video and then do it! Just do it again and again, until eventually the overwhelm disappears.
There are no quick fixes to sailing through life without a twinge of overwhelm. It takes effort and a regular reassessment of your goals and priorities. It’s worth it though, to conquer overwhelm and make sure you’re achieving everything you want to.
Do you have any ways to tackle overwhelm? I would love for you to share them below.
Comments 24
Great suggestions as always. I find I distract myself with sites like Facebook so I need to control those time sucking moments!
Author
Facebook is such a time suck X
Great advice as always. I need to say no more, I’m getting better. Facebook is the worst!! Xx
I’m definitely guilty of time wasting! It’s just too easy to get distracted with all the different socia media platforms! I do make a list though and prioritise but I could probably get through it in half the time if I closed my emails and got on with the job in hand 🙂 #thelist
Oooh I needed to read this today. Thanks Aby. I’m not one who copes well with long term prjects – I like to sit down and complete something, and keep working at it until it IS completed. The constantness of blogging can sometimes stress me out because you never feel like you’re really “done” (you think you’ve written a great post but by tomorrow, you need to have another one ready). Breaking tasks down into smaller chunks really helps with that.
I think the advice about dancing with your fear is important too. My blog has pushed me out of my comfort zone so many times in the last few months. But looking back, some of those things that seemed like a big deal at the beginning are now my everyday, normal activities #TheList
Facebook is definitely the main culprit when it comes to me wasting time. I’ve recently gotten better though and blocking time for specific tasks has really helped me being more productive x
Great advice as always, Aby! I often feel overwhelmed with everything, which then sets me back on achieving the things I want to achieve, including growing my blog. I definitely need to learn to say “no” more (to lots of things generally), and to give individual tasks my full focus, rather than dipping in and out of stuff and juggling everything at the same time, but not fully.
#TheList
I so needed to read this today! I am completely over whelmed with my blog and have dead lines to meet and a holiday to pack for! I love that you say, say no more often, if only I did that!! I have been working with a brand who asked for one review which then led to a week long collaboration with four other companies, giveaways, reviews and posts, all unpaid, and ever the mug I’ve gone along with it! Agghh! Prioritise, that’s a good one. I’m off out shopping for new winter boots!! #TheList
I do get overwhelmed at times, and I know I just need to do one thing at a time, all that buzz in my head gets to me and then I get nowhere. I tend to do my best work of an evening, that is when my writing mind is at it’s best, but it is a conflict with my brain and my children being home and wanting to spend every waking minute with me, which is gorgeous and I adore them but it makes it hard to tick off the to do list in my mind. #Thelist
Totally get this sometimes and love your suggestion of saying no more. I do sometimes get so excited I have been asked that I need to pause and think “yeah but is it a good offer” haha.. Now I have been blogging over a couple of year (still newbie?/) I think with some things – “well so and so thinks im worth this much and your only offering this” and it makes me feel a little more empowered to say no thanks or to bargain I guess. But yeah I am more picky these days to do things that are a reasonable offer and that coincide with my goals and blog!
I also have to remind myself when I stress out that noone actually is aware I was planning a post on whatever for saturday so if I do it wednesday, no one will know otherwise..CHILL! I find ituseful too to have at least one night free of blogs, tweets and phones!! xx #thelist
These are really good tips, I have just ordered myself to say no to everything not just blogging, my life is overwhelming at times and I am fed up of pleasing everyone, from now on Im pleasing myself! #TheLIst
Great tips Aby. I find myself having to fight the overwhelm but I LOVE what I do. It’s gaining a little bit of me back so I’m not just ‘Mummy x. #thelist
This was just what needed to read. Thank you Aby. These tips are so applicable to all aspects of life, work and blogging. I like the timing idea – if you have a chunk of time sometimes it can be easy to waste it. #thelist
For me, because of my faith. I have to stop doing everything and go and spend some time with God and then my perspective returns and I’m normally able to get back into it tackling the most crap task first. Mich x
What a great post and great tips! Time management is so important all on aspects of life, and with blogging it’s funny how time gets sucked away so quickly. I appreciate you offering these tips and advice to help all bloggers prioritize and make the most of their time!
#TheList
Really useful advice Aby, especially love the reminder from Seth that you have to just crack on with things that scare you sometimes, that’s the only way to deal with some fears! x #TheList
Great tips here, I really need to evaluate how much time I spend on everything. I find brain dumping really useful and often use 750words.com to type out my thoughts and always feel better afterwards and ready to move forward x
#TheList
Such great advice, and applicable to so many areas of my life! I spend my life doing loads of jobs at once, this approach really isn’t working! Your productivity challenge has set me on the right track-no more dithering and faffing for me!
Some good tips.
Mine would be close everyffline toavoid distrivtion.thing else down on the pc before writing, or write on paper
Really great advice. I totally believe in time blocking and I’m quite good at switching off from other things and jumping in with both feet when working on something – I think being a mum and having so little time has made me that way. I also have dedicated time to play with the toddler and try and not look at my phone or laptop which I find really helps get rid of the mum guilt! xx #TheList
Really good advice as always! #thelist
Great tips – I make daily (achievable) lists and work through them systematically – it’s the only way! #thelist
I get easily distracted by social media, life in general and my other businesses. Just feel I’m being pulled in too many directions.
Some really good pointers here and love the dancing with the fear advice. Saying is also one of the most liberating things for me today too 🙂