There's a lot going on at the moment, so if you're feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone.
As a small business owner, you juggle countless responsibilities, you're always reacting to the latest client request and it’s easy to feel like everything is always urgent.
You're stuck in a bottleneck and more and more tasks are piling up behind you. Unless you can reset and organise your priorities, you'll just end up in even more of a log jam.
This quick rescue plan will help you reset, regain control, and move forward with greater clarity so you're able to stay more focused.
Stop & Breathe
When
everything feels like it's piling up on top of you, the first thing to do is STOP! Take a deep breath and ground yourself with a simple 2-minute breathing exercise.
- Close your eyes
- Inhale deeply, fill your lungs
- Hold for a
moment
- Then exhale slowly.
- Repeat 3 times or for 2 minutes
Do this simple breathing exercise, whenever you feel stressed or you need to calm your busy mind. It
brings you back into the present moment, ready to face what's next with a clear head.
Brain Dump & Sort
Once you're feeling
calmer, it's time to declutter your mind and tackle the overwhelm.
Write down everything that's on your mind, no matter how trivial it seems. All the tasks on your list, all the priorities you're trying to
tackle, whatever is taking up space in your head. This brain dump is essential to clear mental space.
Next, organise everything you've just written down into three categories: urgent, important, and
non-essential. This helps you to prioritise more effectively and ensures you focus your energy where it's needed most and on what's more important, not just what you're reacting to.
Add a date or timeframe
to each task to give you a better sense of what's more urgent and important, instead of cherry-picking or avoiding certain tasks.
Quick Wins First
Start with a few quick wins. Tackle any small, manageable tasks you can complete quickly and easily. These quick wins create a sense of achievement and build momentum, reducing stress and increasing your motivation to tackle more significant tasks. Even if there's an element of cherry-picking, if it gets you moving forward, so much the better. Often there will be a few quick and easy tasks you've been putting off that will
give you a quick win.
Prioritise & Plan
Once you've organised your tasks and you've got momentum on your side, identify your
TOP THREE priorities. What are the critical tasks on your list that will enable you to move the needle today?
Create a simple, actionable plan for the day. By prioritising your tasks and having a more focused,
intentional approach, you're in a better position to address the most important tasks without feeling overwhelmed by the less critical ones.
Repeat your daily plan to create a plan for the week.
Set a Routine
If you want to avoid future overwhelm, establish a reset and review routine. Dedicate five minutes each day to review your
priorities and adjust your plans. Having a daily check-in helps maintain clarity and focus, so you're better able to remain in control of your workload and can avoid things building up because you're ignoring priorities or avoiding important tasks.
Overwhelm happens, but with the right system, you can clear the log jam and get yourself back on track. Follow this plan whenever things feel chaotic.
Join the FREE Plan Your Week – 5-Day Challenge for support in managing your time and workload more effectively. This challenge is designed to help you create a structured, flexible weekly plan to keep you
focused and productive.
