Get a grip
Boy, do I ever need to. (Hey – didn’t I just write a post about getting a grip on reality and getting over myself?)
It’s been awhile since I had such a large workload and I am not handling it well. I am a planner and can plan to get things done, but I have so many interruptions that I feel like I am never getting anywhere. I spend my days at work feeling anxious and frantic. And people can tell.
People can tell that I don’t work with too! I am not sure how many times I told Gina how stressed I was, but she sent me these flowers!
I came out of a 2.5 hour meeting to find missed phone calls, 10 new emails, texts on my phone… and these flowers. The flowers were the first thing I tended to. What a wonderful surprise in my crazy overbooked day.
I am the type of person who is not good at balancing a lot of to-dos at once. I like to get things done right away. I get an idea in my head and I have to do it right then. Kind of like instant gratification… I can’t wait. I get too anxious. I think I need to be easier on myself. I think I need to work on my natural tendency to worry.
But I do think I will work this weekend to get caught up.
This post is very similar to my last confidence post, so, apologies. Just stressed and needed to write.
Anyone else a big stessball like me when they get overloaded?
Let’s lighten this up with a photo. I’ve been trying to make more of an effort to look nice at work lately. I am not sure why, to tell you the truth. I guess it makes me feel good? Anyway, Erin and I went shopping yesterday during lunch and I picked up this skirt (you can’t really tell in the picture, but it’s gray):
And I should mention – even though I am crazy busy I am still planning lunch dates and getting away from my desk at work. My sanity depends on it! I had lunch with my new kickboxing friend today, and it was a lot of fun! I am excited to meet up with her again.
Themocracy
Just starting to catch up on posts, and wanted to say that you look great in the outfit! Looks like you’ve definitely lost weight, even with all the work stress and holidays – so major major high five!
Thanks 🙂 I have been trying really hard to stay on track! I have had a few slip-ups, but nothing has derailed me yet 🙂
I agree with you on lunch-regardless of my workload (which has been crazy), I have been forcing myself to take a lunch to save my sanity. It’s somewhat working!
argh, i hate getting overloaded like that. it paralyzes me – i feel like i have so! many! things! that all need to get done, that i can’t figure out where to start because if i do thing A, things B-H won’t get done and aaaaccccck.
good for you for making sure you get out for lunch though!! that’s so important.
Hey! Who let you read my mind?!
Exactly! I think I am doing the right thing by diving in to project A but then I get interrupted and told project B is the urgent one! Ugh!
Oh I love the look!! I think it’s good that you are still taking lunch breaks even though things are getting crazy. You will get through this crazy time. Just do as you do — take it one project at a time. And when you get overloaded just take a big deep breath. I have been in similar situations where I was so overwhelmed I just wanted to cry — but the best thing I could do was take a break, lunch break, or walk break and come back to my work with a clear head. Love the flowers by the way!!
I have wanted to cry a few times! Deep breathing does help. Thanks for the reminder. Is it sad I need a reminder for that?!
This week has been crazy for me too! And I have been tired and irritable and just cranky! I just want to get everything done and get it all under control! I can’t wait for the weekend!
That is what I said on Tuesday – I just want to wake up on Saturday! But now I may have to do some work. Oh well. I will do it if it means I won’t feel this way next week!!!
I love the skirt! And yay for the “date” 😉 Remember Bestfriend #3 position has been taken..so she can apply for #4 😉
Thanks 🙂 And LOL!
I can sympathize! I also echo RunningLaur – you look very slim in this photo! Go you!
Mind like water!
I also wanted to share that I recently read a book on prioritizing work & activities — it was “18 Minutes” and I think it’s helping me (the bits I’ve been able to implement thus far) in feeling better about my crazy work life!
I’ve heard good things about 18 Minutes. That’s the book about taking short periods of time to think about what you should be doing and refocus throughout the day, right?
Yes! ~5 minutes at beginning of the day, 1 min each hour, then 5 min at end of day. That’s been somewhat challenging for me to incorporate, but some of the other principles for prioritizing what you do have been helpful so far!
Thanks for the recommendation!
You look great! It sounds like you are moving up the ladder at work kicking and screaming, good luck, I really enjoy your blog.
Thank you 🙂
At least if you’re going to be stressed out you look good doing it!
Aww, thanks 🙂
I would not be able to handle my workload if I tried to do everything right away. There is just too much going on at once. I have to prioritize it. It sounds like maybe you are getting to a point with current projects or maybe expanded responsibilities where you are goin to have to prioritize and develop triage skills rather than getting things done right away.
One thing that has helped me is switching to a Zero Inbox e-mail system. (Google it). When e-mails come in I immediately either respond to them if it’s something quick, move them to an Action folder if it’s something I have to do, move them to a Waiting folder if it’s something pending, or file them in a giant folder of everything else.
I’m going to be working at least one day this weekend too. Maybe we can e-mail each other for moral support!
You do look faaaabulous in your new skirt. And I can tell you’ve lost weight, too!
I am pretty good at managing email right away so I am not thinking about them for too long… but I do need to learn how to cope with not getting things done right away. Letting them sit and then not stressing about finishing them… any ideas?
We will have to email!
And thanks 🙂
Hmmmn. Do you use an online calendar? Maybe if you can block out chunks of time or assign days when you will work on certain things in your Outlook or Google calendar, you won’t feel as much like they are just looming over you. Or you could come up with a list or spreadsheet of your various To Dos and assign them a priority level and sort them by priority. Then you might feel like you were working your way through tasks systematically instead of stressing because you weren’t getting EVERYTHING done immediately. (Which is of course impossible).
Are you working on Saturday or Sunday or both?
Oh yeah! That is exactly what I do now! I make a little appointment for all the stuff I need to get done. The first task today ended up taking the whole day though! Sigh. So I kept making the appt longer and longer… and moving the other appts to this weekend.
I think I will put in a few hours each day in the afternoon, if I have time. What are you doing?
The same! Will probably crank up around 2:00 tomorrow. See ya then!
I used to work in casualty claims so one storm could easily overwhelm me. Just dump your stress on a run and do the best you can. No one can ask for more. Seriously, no one, not even you. Now go for a run!
PS – The outfit looks great. I think it is very flattering to your shape.
Ahh, how I love to run after those stressful days!!! 🙂
Thank you 🙂
I am very sorry you’re feeling so stressed – I can’t take that either. Good thing you have running to help you de-stress…
And BTW – you look gorgeous in your new skirt!!!
Thanks!
Running helps so much. Strength class too!
That outfit is SO cute! I miss working for knowing how to dress. I seriously haven’t a clue. I need an Erin 🙁
I keep telling you, Bobbi, I will go shopping with you! Although, Kim’s doing pretty well all on her own so maybe you should have her take you 🙂
LOL – Erin said she would go shopping with you Bobbi! We should invite her up to hit the Kenosha outlets.
You are totally rocking that outfit – you look confident, stylish and oh so professional! You are only one person and you can only do so much in one day.
Thanks Gina!!! 🙂
And thank you for being my cheerleader! I feel like I got a better grip on things today 🙂
You look awesome in your new outfit!!
Right before Christmas, I was STRESSED! All with new baby stuff and things related to it. I wrote a list of about 15 things that I was worried about. I put the list in my drawer and thought about it sometimes and talked about a couple of the things with friends/family. Then, life carried on. I looked at the list about a week ago and realized that everything I was worried about had been “solved”. I had no reason to worry about it! Making that list really helped me “put away” my worries…
Thanks Jen!
Ooo… I should do that! I keep thinking that I am the only one who cares about getting these things done on time and right. I think I hold myself up to too high of standards. Sound familiar?
A 2.5 hour meeting would stress me out!
I definitely think it’s good that you continue to set up lunch dates, even when you are crazy slammed.
Good luck managing. I wish I had advice, but I’m pretty terrible about time-management.
Come on, queen of lists! You can do it! I agree with the person who said that trying to finish A while letting B through F sit fallow will drive you crazy. I’m not very good at it either, but the way Jason has helped me think about it is to try and break projects up into chunks and work on one chunk per time period. So, if you can break a project up into 4 or 5 chunks then you can work on one chunk a day and still feel like you’re getting something accomplished.
Of course, when the bosses come running up to you hollering that it’s really project F that needs to be done ASAP it can be hard to switch gears. I definitely get that!
At least you look beautiful, polished, and are in awesome shape while you’re running around like a crazy person 🙂
That is what I have been doing – making lists and putting chunks of work in my calendar. It helps… when I get to do the work and am not interrupted. It was so nice today not to have any meetings. Is there a way to tell people “no” when they ask me to a meeting? I felt pretty good telling that guy I could not move our meeting up to 1:00 the other day (the day we met to shop!).
And thank you 🙂 *blushing*
Sure you can say no! You don’t have to say why, even. But if you feel like you have to give a reason just say that you have a project deadline and you can’t really step away to attend a meeting. Offer to take a look at any materials/agendas beforehand and give your feedback or ask for minutes afterward so you can get caught up.
Love the outfit! I totally hear you on being overloaded. It seems like I’ve felt that way a lot lately, which is running me down. When I get super stressed, overworked I get sick (which is happening again). That was so nice of Gina to send you flowers and glad you are getting away from the desk for lunch. I know I always need that too! I was going to comment the other day and forget but seriously you’re looking awesome and it really does look like you’re losing weight 🙂
I am sorry you are feeling that way too, and that it is making you sick! Don’t you wish we could pause time and get caught up?!
Thank you 🙂
I don’t handle stress and overloaded schedules very well – but mostly only at my job. If it’s a personal project, I manage multiple tasks a lot better.
It looks like we were having the same kind of week!! (i didn’t get flowers though, haha 🙂 )
I do handle stress well but I don’t like it (duh!) I found that at the end of last semester I was kind of a cranky pants with my kids. I’m not usually like that. Luckily, one of them told me I was sounding grumpy so I realized it but I guess there is only so much stress I can handle before it is noticeable to others.
You look so pretty! I love the picture!
Thanks!
Yeah, Steven said “I don’t think you should work from home on the weekends anymore.” So true. Stress makes me cranky. At least we have people that point that out to us nicely? I know it made me step back and get a grip. Again 😉