Society values hard work and ever-increasing productivity, but those impossible standards leave us feeling overwhelmed, unable to accomplish anything.
We have so much on our to-do lists that it’s hard to get anything done. In the meantime, the tasks keep piling up, worsening the situation.
How do you get more done when there’s so much to do?
Too Overwhelmed to Focus
While scrolling through my favorite productivity community, I came across a thread that speaks to all of us. A user asked the community for tips on how to stop feeling so overwhelmed all the time to get more done.
“There’s just TOO much on your mind at any given moment, so what ends up happening is that nothing gets done, work days are unproductive, work piles up, nothing you want to do gets addressed,” shared the original poster (OP).
“It’s just this almost paralyzing feeling where you end up just doing nothing at all & procrastinating everything because you’re so overwhelmed,” they added, asking others to share ways they’ve managed these feelings.
How to Get More Done
The internet (and your favorite certified life coach) delivered.
Here are the best responses, plus input of my own, to help you beat the overwhelm and get more done.
Identify Your Values
Our focus is all over the place because we can’t identify what we should focus on.
What’s the right thing?
To find out, reflect upon your life goals and consider what you value most. Once you know that, you can prioritize your ideas to pursue the ones most aligned with your goals.
“You’ve got to really develop a sense of self and certainty in your self-determined values and let that lead you in confidence as you ruthlessly prioritize,” advised one user.
Take Care of Yourself First
You can’t do anything if you aren’t in the right headspace. There’s always so much going on that we forget to prioritize the most important thing: ourselves!
You’ll be amazed at how much your focus improves when you’re well rested, hydrated, and in a good mood.
Prioritize self-care, and the overwhelm will melt away.
Make a List
Don’t let a to-do list’s simplicity mask its power.
When I’m overwhelmed with so much to do, I make a list. I write out all the things I have to do so it’s on paper in front of me.
The list ensures I don’t forget a crucial task and seeing it all written out helps me identify the most pressing matters.
There’s an App for that
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One user shared that using an app can help organize tasks. “I personally use the app Todoist, but try to search around for what works for you,” they replied.
Others agreed that finding an app that’s the right fit is essential. “This is great advice, especially the part about searching for the right fit for you. It may take some time, but you won’t regret it. I’ve tried several, and either didn’t like them or had my workload outgrow what I’d set up over time,” replied another.
All the Productivity Tools
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Apps are great, but they aren’t the only game in town. There are tons of productivity tools helping you stay on task and get more done.
Consider printable planners, bullet journals, or task trackers. Find the resource that works best for you.
Avoid Distractions
You’ve just sat down to work on your project that’s due tomorrow. But then an email notification pops up. You should respond. The phone rings. You should answer. Now you’ve got to pee.
Distractions never end, but you can reduce their impact.
Set yourself to do-not-disturb so you don’t get the pings and notifications. Take care of your personal needs before diving into a task. Close your door and turn off your phone.
Brain Dump
Brain dumping helps you get everything out of your head and onto paper. It clears your mind and enables you to visualize your workload.
It’s an essential tool for when you’re overwhelmed.
When doing a brain dump, don’t worry about priorities or deadlines. Your goal is to get everything out so you can organize it later.
Pick 3 Things
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Sometimes you can’t do it all, no matter how much you want to. Getting something done, even if it’s not the most crucial item on your to-do list, is better than doing nothing.
Accept that you won’t do it all. Instead, pick three things you know you can accomplish.
One Redditor shared their method of accomplishing at least something in the face of overwhelm. “When I am overwhelmed, I try to pick 3 things I can do that day. I pick 1 big/hard thing, 1 medium thing, and 1 easy thing. If nothing else gets done, then at least I am afloat. And I can do 3 more things tomorrow.”
Prioritize
OP has so many hopes, dreams, and ideas that they get lost, unable to start anything.
They described their brain as “an endless list of ideas, things you want to do, things you need to do, things you want and/or need to plan for, hobbies you want to make time for, goals you want to reach, things you want to create, skills you want to learn, information you want to consume, books you want to read, things you need to do for work, etc.”
One Redditor caught onto that and advised that they try to reduce the number of ideas they have rather than accumulate more. “You can collect so many potential ideas, so many things that you should do, but how many of those you NEED to do?” they asked.
Decide what you really want to accomplish, and what you have time for, and start crossing ideas off the list that won’t work.
Give Yourself a Break
We don’t need to be productive all the time. One user stressed the importance of time off. “ I think it’s important to do fun things that take your mind away from ‘productivity.” I think it’s important to give your mind a break,” they said.
As a bonus, they’re usually more productive after giving themselves that extra time. “When I do sit down to do something productive after doing leisurely activities… I’m more focused and committed to what I’m doing,” they added.
I like to take daily walks while working. It gives me 20 minutes away from my computer for a quick reset, and usually, I’m more engaged when I return.
Read
One user promoted David Allen’s celebrated productivity book Getting Things Done.
They added some tidbits of wisdom they learned from the resource. “Accept the fact that you can focus on only a few key goals and let other ideas rest. This is deeply personal and can mean different things to different people.”
We spoke with David Allen about his external brain productivity hack – read what he had to say here!
But Allen isn’t the only game in town. Check out our favorite productivity books – you’ll find something in there that can help you get more done.
Journal
Journaling offers so many benefits, I’m surprised more people don’t do it! The productivity benefits alone make it a worthwhile hobby.
Use your lined journal to brain dump, or grab a bullet journal to organize your week with a spread. Create to-do lists, task trackers, planners, and priority lists in your journal pages to help you stay on track and prevent overwhelm.
Break it Up
A lot of us fall into the trap of big ideas with no starting point. If you want to get more done, you need to break those big-picture thoughts into smaller, actionable goals.
If you want to be a writer, think about what you need to do to make it happen. Maybe you need to read a few books on writing, take a grammar class, or freshen up your skills. Next, you’ll have to make an action plan for when you will write.
Breaking any goal up into smaller, actionable steps will help you achieve more.
Shrink It
When discussing how to get more done despite the overwhelm, we need to understand how debilitating being overwhelmed really is.
Sometimes it feels impossible to do anything. Everything is so big and complex, so we freeze.
It may sound dumb but try shrinking the task to the smallest thing possible. You don’t have to work on your spreadsheet; you just need to open it. That’s it.
The bare minimum is still something.
Set a Timer
You can do anything for twenty minutes, right?
Try setting a timer for a small amount of time (like 10-20 minutes) and dedicating that time to your task.
The fact that you have a deadline and know time is short offers a jolt of motivation to get it done. As a bonus, if you get in the zone, you can keep working after the deadline has passed.
Manage Your Time
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Productivity experts across the globe developed a wide range of time management tools and techniques to help you get more done.
We discussed a few of them here, but there are plenty more to choose from. Explore the different ways you can manage your time better and adapt what works for you.
Therapy
Some users replied that constant feelings of overwhelm may be signs of a deeper problem, such as unresolved trauma.
“I had repeated trauma throughout my entire childhood (shoutout to r/CPTSD), & one of the effects of repeated trauma is you have trouble envisioning, & thus planning for, the future,” shared one, saying they’re currently in therapy.
Anxiety and ADHD can also cause these feelings, so if none of the productivity hacks help, you may benefit from seeing a doctor.
You Can Get More Done!
We all feel overwhelmed at times, and there’s usually no one cause. I love exploring questions like these on the internet because it offers perspectives from folks who’ve experienced the same thing, but resolved it differently.
The variety of answers shows that there’s no single answer to “how to get more done.” Some folks need help setting priorities, while others would benefit from therapy.
The Reddit thread is not all-knowing. If changing your habits and developing routines don’t help, consider seeing a mental health expert.
You can get stuff done. You may just need extra help to do it.