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Running a successful business isn’t just about finding a lightning-in-a-bottle idea or hiring a great team to be with you. It’s also important to stay motivated and not get too overwhelmed. However, remember that admitting you are overwhelmed is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of good self-awareness.
It’s a skill to step back from a project and say, “I’m stuck and either I need more help with this project or I need some time to regroup.”As a business founder and owner Butterfly MXI’ve found that what I do after this recognition is the key to not becoming overwhelmed and burning out.
Related: Overwhelmed? These 10 techniques will help you deal with uncomfortable emotions.
Early signs of being overwhelmed
To prevent yourself from becoming overwhelmed and experiencing burnout, you first need to be able to detect it. This is difficult because many of the early signs of being overwhelmed are subtle and can be mistaken for typical workplace stress. Still, constantly monitoring indicators to see if they become persistent over time is a good way to notice excess conditions early.
Here are some key indicators that you’re feeling overwhelmed at work.
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A never-ending sense of anxiety about projects, meetings, and deadlines.
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Continuous long working hours seriously disrupt work-life balance.
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Even though you are achieving results, you feel that your job satisfaction is continually decreasing.
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Previously, the focus is on arduous and taxing daily tasks and deadlines.
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Rather than challenging yourself in a healthy way, it feels like you’re facing a challenge you can’t handle.
Overall, you’ve probably reached a tipping point when your focus at work shifts from the solutions you’re finding to the problems you’re facing. Therefore, it is important to tackle this problem head-on before it gets out of hand.
What contributes to feeling overwhelmed?
You’ve determined that you may be feeling overwhelmed and prone to burnout at work. What’s next? Identifying what’s fueling your overwhelmed feelings may help you find a solution.
So what promotes a state of being overwhelmed?
There are several reasons why you might feel overwhelmed at work. Pressure to grow and climb the corporate ladder, a desire to be a key member of a team, or simply a desire to appease a boss or co-worker are all common reasons why people feel overwhelmed. If you find yourself feeling any or all of these things in conjunction with key indicators of being overwhelmed, know that it’s time to set more professional boundaries. could mean.
Related: 7 tips to avoid burnout as you grow your business
Set professional boundaries
When dealing with feeling overwhelmed, you don’t have to abandon all your responsibilities to avoid burnout. Instead, you can reevaluate your task management style to set firmer professional boundaries. As you do this, pay attention to how you prioritize projects, delegate tasks, and manage your and your team members’ time. You may think you’re doing all of this well, but you won’t be able to alleviate your frustration until you take a step back and seriously consider how you manage your tasks.
But what exactly does setting professional boundaries look like? This varies from professional to professional, but it almost always starts with the same few things.
First, create a plan and clearly communicate when the project needs to be completed so you and your team are on the same page about deadlines.
Then, delegate tasks to your direct reports, and have them delegate to their teams. Delegating tasks not only immediately reduces your workload, but it also gives your direct reports the opportunity to challenge themselves by performing tasks outside of their comfort zone. Be sure to check your progress and provide helpful feedback on your work.
Third, set professional boundaries to avoid becoming overwhelmed. This also includes project prioritization. Have two projects due in the same week and don’t know which one to start with? Consider which project will impact the most people. If one project is a report due and needs to be completed before moving forward with a larger project, and the other is a draft that won’t be published for days or weeks, start with a report. Also, if you need to delay a deadline to prioritize more pressing projects, notify those affected in advance to avoid surprises.
Related: 7 Ways to Reduce Stress When You’re Overwhelmed and Need Prioritization
Recovering from feeling overwhelmed
Once you face your feelings of being overwhelmed head-on, you need to apply long-term solutions to prevent the same lingering threat of burnout from plaguing your future. But how can we do that?
While it’s important to recognize imbalances in your workplace, the steps you take to achieve stability are even more important. Maintaining a healthy balance between professional challenges, workload, and professional relationships is the key to being a successful worker in the long term.
Remember, knowing you are defeated and taking steps to improve is not admitting defeat. This is a testament to self-awareness and dedication to the greater good of the company.