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The Productive Woman 011 – 15 Minutes to Sanity: 9 Steps to Handling Overwhelm [podcast]

_podcastTemplateSometimes, no matter how organized we are or how carefully we plan, life just takes over and throws way too much at us. When there's too much to do and not enough time to get it done, we can feel panicky, stressed, and overwhelmed. I've developed a simple 15-minute process that can help bring me back from the brink, calm me down, and get me through these crisis moments. It involves 9 steps:

  1. Take 1 minute to breathe and calm your mind.
  2. Take 5 minutes to clear your work space.
  3. Take 5 more minutes to clear your mind by listing everything that needs to get done–don't organize or prioritize; just do a brain dump.
  4. Scan the list and identify tasks that can be delegated–don't be too proud to ask for help!
  5. Scan the list again and find those tasks that can be put off for a day or two without causing a disaster. Circle the tasks that need immediate attention.
  6. Pick one of the circled items–don't agonize about priority: just pick one.
  7. Clear everything else off your desk, gather the materials you need for the chosen task, and get it done. (Try the Pomodoro technique if the task will take more than 30 minutes or so.) It helps me to put on some instrumental music–I use the movie themes channel on Pandora played through my computer speakers.
  8. When you've finished that task, cross it off the list and pick another circled item. Repeat the process until they're all done.
  9. Give yourself a pat on the back, and celebrate surviving the crisis.

Simple but effective!

Your turn: Do you think this process will work for you? Or can you suggest an approach that works for you when it all gets to be too much? Please share your tips and thoughts in the comments.

A couple of helpful resources:

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Greenville, Texas
I Was Just Thinking . . .
Legal Blog: Real Estate Law Blog
Twitter: @LauraMcMom
Email me

The Productive Woman 010 – Tips for Stress-Free Travel [podcast]

_podcastTemplateTravel can be stressful, but there are lots of things we can do to make it less so. I asked my connections on Facebook to share some of their favorite tips for productive and stress-free travel, and in this episode I share their tips, as well as some of my own.

I won't try to summarize all of them here–you'll need to listen to catch some great suggestions–but here are links for some great resources that are mentioned in the episode, as well as some bonus resources.

Resources:

Thank you to these wonderful ladies* for sharing their tips. Please check out their websites to learn more about them:

My sincere apologies to those of you whose names I butchered on-air.

What about you? Which of the tips from this episode will you try on your next trip? Or did we miss the travel tip or tool you rely on most? Please share your questions or your best tips in the comments.

Subscribe to The Productive Woman in iTunes or subscribe in Stitcher, and join the conversation at The Productive Woman on Facebook.

2013-04-20 signature blank background copy

 

 

 

Greenville, Texas
I Was Just Thinking . . .
Legal Blog: Real Estate Law Blog
Twitter: @LauraMcMom
Email me