Feeling Overwhelmed?

Where do I start? It's too much to deal with!

One of the greatest obstacles that stands in the way of getting organized is being overwhelmed. You just sigh when you look at your cluttered desk, or your jam-packed schedule or the pile of papers that nearly touches the ceiling. And it's no wonder--with everything the average person has to do every day, where would you even start when it comes to your organizing projects?

Jill, a full-time ER nurse, comes home from work literally exhausted on weekdays. Although the laundry is constantly piled up in heaps, she can't bear the thought of catching up on it over the weekend. But there's constant stress in Jill's family, because there are rarely clean clothes to wear. Jill's husband, who also works all day, had to pick a shirt out of the dirty laundry pile to wear to work yesterday. Jill doesn't even know where to start to fix the laundry situation and gets sick every time she looks at it.

Nicole, works two jobs. In the morning, she works in a physical rehabilitation center and in the evening, she works for a cleaning company. Her bills are piled on her desk and she gets to them when she can. But it's not often enough. In the pile, she also has letters from collection agencies demanding payment. It's not that she can't afford to pay the bills. It's just that she always sees bill organizing and bill paying as an unsavory task that she can't possibly keep up with.

Bill was laid off from work several weeks ago. Since he now spends most of his mornings job searching, his wife Grace, asked him if he could begin organizing the basement in the afternoons little by little. Grace felt this would be a good opportunity. But every time Bill looks at the basement, he is so overwhelmed by the clutter and lack of storage space, that he can't get started. He has been home for three weeks with no progress on the basement cleanup.

If, like Jill, Nicole and Bill, you're also overwhelmed, here are five simple secrets to help you combat that feeling and start getting things done.

1) Stop: When you're feeling overwhelmed, it's important to take the time to stop, step back and to put yourself into solution mode. There is no organizing problem that can't be overcome. Once you acknowledge this, you're well on your way to conquering whatever project is ahead of you. The secret to accomplishing any task is "never, never, never give up".

2) Small Steps: Whatever your organizing project is, it does not have to be completed all at once. Break it down into small steps. For example, instead of trying to organize your entire bedroom closet, a very overwhelming task for many people, just start by removing five articles of clothing you no longer wear. Put them in a Donation Bag or the trash. Most charities are overwhelmed with clothing. In fact, they throw away 60% or sell it to recycle centers Or, instead of trying to get 20 tasks done on your To Do list, focus on just one or two at a time.

Another possibility, is to commit to working on your project for a total of 15 minutes each day. Get an egg timer and set it for 15 minutes. Small steps help you to get a project started, and prevents you from getting overwhelmed so that eventually, you can complete it. The secret is not to focus your thoughts on the whole but only on finishing just the small step.

3) Get a little help. Whether that person is a spouse, a relative, a friend, one of your children, or a professional organizer, sometimes an outside perspective can really shed some light on the situation. Choose someone who is aggressive and pretty organized, and get some help on the best way to tackle the mess. You may even be able to get the person to physically assist to help you get through the bulk of the project.

If you and your family share the clutter habit you'll need to find someone from outside your immediate family members to help. There is no greater stumbling block than having a group of enablers enabling each other.

4) Simplify. Too many people try to take on so much in their lives. The everyday tasks like laundry, bill paying and keeping control of clutter, seem to be the most difficult, time-consuming projects they have. If you're constantly being pulled in ten different directions, perhaps you have to practice saying 'No' a little more often. If you're always working late at work, maybe it's because you're not effectively organized at work.

Could it be that you are always driving your kids to one activity after another? If so, have you thought about limiting their activities a bit? Simplifying other areas of your life, can often help you get the everyday things organized with less stress.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying 'No'. Your kids learn there are limits in real life. People don't respect nor trust someone that takes on too much and never fulfills their promises. Doing less and doing it completely and effectively is much more rewarding.

5) Make time for you. Designate 'timeout' rewards for your accomplishments. Timeout rewards are batches of time you use just for YOU. When you complete a mini-goal, such as organizing a shelf in your office, shredding that pile of papers you've been meaning to recycle or weeding out one of your kitchen cabinets, give yourself a minimum 15-minute timeout reward. You might just relax in your favorite chair while listening to the silence. Or, perhaps you can take a walk and enjoy some fresh air and exercise. Schedule your day mini-goals and rewards for yourself.

This way, you'll be getting things done and you'll be enjoying yourself throughout the day. This will help you from feeling overwhelmed, and even leave you with a great sense of accomplishment.

One last secret! If you are easily distracted from tasks at hand use an egg timer set for 10 to 15 minutes, no more. Also, make yourself a "Not To Do List". Keep it in your pocket and pull it out several times through the day to remind yourself of what you should not be doing.

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