Feeling Overwhelmed at Work? Practice the 5 Ps

May 23, 2022

When you feel overwhelmed by everything on your plate and start wondering how you’re ever going to manage, it’s time to start practicing the “5 Ps”—prioritize, pare, pace, pause and practice self-care, says a recent article from Chatsworth Consulting Group.

Prioritize—Start with triage. Figure out what actually needs to be done and make those tasks a priority.

Pare—Go through your to-do list and figure out what you can drop, what you can delegate and what you can decrease (make simpler, make smaller, make doable).

Pace—You don’t need to tackle everything at once. Pace yourself—go slow, and if necessary, go even slower. Pacing yourself will help reserve your energy so you can make it through to the end.

Pause—Sometimes you need to pause, or even stop, to reset and renew. Taking a break will help increase your stamina and mindfulness.

Practice self-care—Don’t become so overwhelmed that you forget to take care of yourself. Remember: It’s important to put your own oxygen mask on first. You can’t help your team if you let yourself go.

Source: “How to keep going when you can’t keep going anymore,” Chatsworth Consulting Group, April 7, 2022

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Hard work is key to job success, earning you praise and promotions. But some people take it too far, letting their dedication to work take over and sacrificing their well-being and personal life in the process. In short, they become workaholics. A 2020 article from Inverse offers some strategies for transforming those habits.

Recharge: Your brain needs time away from work to recharge the tank, so to speak. Unplugging and unwinding when you’re off the clock can help you replenish energy reserves to create a healthy work-life balance.

Set boundaries: Creating a clearer time to start and stop work is crucial to developing a sustainable routine. If you’re working from home, try also designating a specific workspace to help create that separation.

Talk it out: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help you learn how to turn negative emotional reactions to certain scenarios into more constructive and positive feelings. The process can also help pinpoint the root motivating factor behind your incessant need to work.

Source: “When does a hard worker become a workaholic?”Inverse, Nov. 21, 2020