There are a lot of things that can cause procrastination. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Perfectionism. And, of course, there’s feeling overwhelmed.
When you sit down to work on a big, overwhelming project, it can feel like being dropped in the middle of the ocean with no lifeboat in sight. It can be confusing, stressful, and even a little scary.
These aren’t pleasant feelings, so you might avoid working on the project so you don’t have to experience those unpleasant emotions.
But here’s the thing. The longer you put off a project, especially one with a deadline, the harder it will be when you have no choice but to sit down and finally get to work on it.
If you have a project you want to stop avoiding, here are 5 quick and easy things you can do right now to help ease your feelings of overwhelm. And, hopefully, stop procrastinating.
1. Take a Few Deep Breaths
When you think about working on an overwhelming project, your body can react like you’re in physical danger.
You heart starts to race. Your breaths become quick and shallow. And the old “fight or flight” response kicks in.
And, when dealing with an overwhelming project, “flight” usually means dropping the project to check your email or mow the lawn.
A “flight” response is great if you’re being chased by a lion. But it’s not so great when facing a project you need to finish before a deadline.
One way to get your body back under control is to take a few deep breaths.
Here’s a simple breathing exercise you can do any time you’re feeling nervous, anxious, or overwhelmed.
- Breathe in for a count of four.
- Hold your breath for a count of four.
- Breathe out for a count of four.
- Hold your breath for a count of four.
Repeat this exercise four or five times. (Or as many times as needed.) Soon, your breathing will slow, your heart will stop pounding, and your feelings of overwhelm will start to fade.
2. Strike a Power Pose
It’s common knowledge that your body language can affect the way other people perceive you. But now there's research that says your posture can effect what you think and feel too.
Here’s a video that explains things in more detail.
Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are
The gist of it is that if you strike a power pose for just two minutes, it will, among other things, raise your testosterone levels. This, in turn, will decrease your feelings of stress, fear and anxiety. It will help clear your head, and increase your confidence.
According to the research, people who struck power poses before job interviews did much better than those who didn’t.
You can watch the video for some examples of power poses. One of the simplest, that you can do almost anywhere, is what I’ll call the Super Hero Pose. Just stand with your feet spread apart, put your hands on your hips, and raise your chin up high.
3. Break the Project into Steps
One reason a project can seem overwhelming is that you see it as one big, nebulous undertaking rather than as a series of small, concrete steps.
“Write a novel” is a pretty big project to tackle. And, well, how do you do that? Where do you start? How long will it take? How can you get from Point A to Point Z?
If you’ve never done it before, and haven’t really thought out the steps, writing a novel can look like a mystery you have no chance of solving.
One way to make a project less nebulous and mysterious is to break it into concrete steps. For example, for “write a novel,” some of the steps might be:
- Brainstorm story ideas.
- Make a list of possible characters.
- Do profiles of my main character.
- Do research about ducks. (Or whatever you need to know for your novel.)
- Re-read that book on plot structure.
- Make a rough outline.
- Write the first scene of chapter one.
Your list doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it probably won’t be. But even if your list is incomplete because you don’t know all the steps, yet just having a list of steps can help you feel less overwhelmed.
Having a list of action steps will also give you places to start. And figuring out where to start is one of the hardest parts of tackling an overwhelming project.
4. Focus on One Small Step
Sometimes, even breaking a project down into steps can be overwhelming.
So forget about the project as a whole. Instead, focus on doing one small thing to move the project forward.
For example, if you’re organizing a party, you could focus on making a mind map to start organizing your ideas. Or focus on choosing the best night for you to throw the party. (Fridays and Saturdays are always good, right?)
If you have an essay to write, you could focus on making a list of possible topics, or reading one encyclopedia entry about the topic you’ve already chosen.
When I say “small step,” I mean really small. Choose a task you could complete in five or ten minutes.
No, working for just five or ten minutes at a time probably won’t get a big project done (unless the deadline is months away). But, as we know, the hardest part of any project can be just getting started.
A small step that takes just five minutes can be enough to get you over that “haven’t started yet” hump. In fact, after doing that 5-minute task, you might want to keep going.
5. Ask for Help.
It’s strange that asking for help is often our last resort when we’re really struggling on a project. In fact, sometimes we never think to ask for help. Maybe because we believe, at least subconsciously, that we have to do everything ourselves.
But getting help from someone else can be a great way to deal with feeling overwhelmed. In fact, sometimes, it should be your first step.
If you know someone who has done a project similar to the one you’re struggling with, ask them for tips and advice. Sometimes, just talking to someone who’s “done it before” some of your “This project is too big and I don’t know what to do!” panic.
You can also ask for more hands-on help. Chances are you know someone who would be glad to give you a helping hand. They might even take over some of the most difficult parts of the project.
So, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by a project or task, try one of these strategies.
- Take some deep breaths.
- Strike a power pose for two minutes.
- Break the project into concrete action steps.
- Focus on taking one small step.
- Ask someone for help.
I bet at least one of these techniques will help quiet those feelings of overwhelm so you can get some work done on your project.
