Feeling Overwhelmed? Here are 4 Tips for Boosting Your Productivity
By Heidi Sadecky, MA,PCC – Executive Coach & Director, Townsend Leadership Program
Developing habits that help not hurt your productivity is crucial for staying ahead of your workload. If you’re feeling overloaded all the time lately, incorporating these day-to-day habits may help!
I’ve had weeks where it feels like I’m absolutely drowning in work. They’re the kind of weeks where I finally get one thing done, and it seems like three more urgent tasks come my way! Sometimes, no amount of 12-hour work days, cups of coffee, or power naps can take away the feeling of being overwhelmed. But don’t fret! There is hope! In my years of experience as a Leadership Coach in Pittsburgh, I’ve found some habits to be extremely helpful for reducing fatigue, overcoming your workload, and finally feeling relieved. I want to share 4 of these habits with you today.
Habit #1: Stack your Habits
In his book, Atomic Habits, James Clear shares his experience of combining habits together. More than just killing two birds with one stone, Clear suggests combining a task you hate with a fun habit you already have. For example, for so many people, exercise is never very enjoyable, so it’s never a priority. However, if you were to hold fast to only watching your favorite TV show while working out on the treadmill, suddenly exercise becomes more appealing! Take the task you’ve been putting off and stack it with a habit you love, and suddenly you’re getting more done and saving time on top!
Habit #2: Free Up Your Brain’s Decision Making
You have enough on your mind already. Do you really need to be spending brain power deliberating over what meal to eat? Set some of your habits in stone. For example, if you meal prep all your lunches one week in advance, you can save time and energy during the workday. Some may say it’s boring to do the same thing each day, but the value of keeping my mind focused on the most important decisions makes this habit a worthwhile one for me.
Habit #3: Manage your Soundscape
Whether your office is in the city and constantly surrounded by noise, or whether you work in the quiet of your own home, the sounds of your workplace play a huge role in influencing your productivity. Taking your productivity to the next level is about more than simply silencing your cell phone. Invest in a quality (and comfortable!) pair of noise-canceling headphones, then discover what sound environment you work best in. For some people, silence is ideal, while for others, talk radio helps them to focus more sharply on the work at hand.
Habit #4: Make your To-Do Lists on your Calendar, Not a Notepad
Most everyone knows how helpful it can be to make a To-Do List. But when you’re feeling especially overwhelmed by your workload, even a To-Do List is not enough. Here’s an improvement: block out time on your calendar for your To-Do List items. This helps you to visually represent just how simple or how daunting each task is, giving you a clear picture of what can be accomplished, and what needs to be moved. Making your To-Do Calendar is also a great way to avoid over-committing. When you see a dozen urgent tasks planned for your day, you quickly know that you’re unable to commit to any more responsibilities.
When you’re overworked, overstressed, and overbooked, you will eventually hit a wall and crash. Burnout is incredibly common in the American workplace! If you’re struggling through crunch time and you consistently feel like you can’t keep your head above water at work, then it’s time for us to book an appointment. I know it feels like you couldn’t possibly cram one more meeting into your packed schedule! I’ve been there, trust me. But in my experience as an executive and leadership coach in Pittsburgh, I know with certainty that taking the time to receive leadership coaching today can save you years of difficult recovery from burnout down the road.
Everyone gets bogged down and overwhelmed at times throughout their careers, but not everyone knows that crunch time doesn’t have to be so bad. Let’s chat sometime about your leadership goals, and let me put my skill and experience to work at coaching your skill set to make you the best leader you can be.
Heidi Sadecky is a highly-trained executive coach with over 30 years of combined corporate and coaching experience. She helps her clients operate at a higher level, overcome workplace challenges and achieve measurable results.
She is an in-demand facilitator of the only Townsend Leadership Program, a unique and highly effective group coaching program located in the North East United States.
In-person, virtual and hybrid leadership groups are now forming.