Tackling overwhelm: you need an energy protection plan!

No I haven’t switched into some dodgy solar panels pyramid selling line of work, RiF is still here, as straightforward and avoidant of dodgy selling tactics as ever. If we’ve ever had a “sales” call you’ll know full well that I’m interested in finding out if we’re a good fit, and whether I’ve got anything useful to offer, if not I’ll recommend someone else who could help!

Back to energy protection! I’ve been doing a lot of reading recently about making time; how is it that some people just seem to breeze through life with plenty of time to pursue all their goals, and yet others seem to be constantly overwhelmed. Yes personalities, and natural tendencies are very different but aside from those characteristics are there things that folks more susceptible to overwhelm can do to thrive, rather than feel browbeaten by all that pressure? I’ve previously (4 burners theory and boundaries) written about the humble calendar as a surprisingly effective tool for time and mental space management and this is another rallying call to use that simple tool!

The idea I’d like to offer this time is to use planning, recovery, and transition “blocks” to respectively: prevent overwhelm, support you to be on top form, and make you more efficient by easing the move between foci. Let me explain more:

1. If you’re feeling overwhelmed it’s probably because you have so much to do you have no idea where to start because it all seems important, or no idea what will lead to success, or how on earth to get started, or maybe whether there’s any chance of getting much of the to do list done at all! Let’s assume this is mainly a work-related issue. Why not try building in a planning time block in at the end of each day. Take 15 minutes to reflect on what you’ve complained that day, then write down 3 things to focus on the next day. If the task o be done seems monumental and you’ve no idea where to start you can always ask chatGPT to break it down for you. You may disagree completely, but starting from something that’s wrong is far easier than staring at a blank sheet of paper. Doing prep the night before means that come the next day you can get straight on with something, no need to spend any energy, or time wondering what to do, or allowing the feelings of overwhelm to slow you down, or let you procrastinate. You may find that you end up ticking something off your list by the time you’d usually be getting started had you not prioritised your focus at the end of the previous day! At the very least you’ll have made a decision about what’s most important, which will shut some of the noise of all the other to dos out.
2. Recovery blocks are so, so, important but also the things that are usually cancelled or postponed for urgent tasks. Recovery blocks are things like sleep, winding down, taking time for highly nutritious food, and exercise. Things that help you perform at your best in the long run, but don’t always have an immediate benefit, or somehow, we think we can get away with neglecting them. Think of recovery blocks as investments in your long term success and well being because doing these foundational activities well will support your performance in all other areas, as you’ll know full well if you’ve ever given a keynote speech whilst seriously jet lagged!
3. Transition blocks are little segments of time where you give your brain a chance to move from one super important focus to the next. By including just a few minutes we can “finish” our focus on one area, and mentally transition ready to go again, to give something our very best, but in a different area. Transition blocks have perhaps been especially missed since the working from home inflection point. It’s really difficult to switch instantly from the stresses of the work day to being a fully present and attentive life partner, parent, etc. Try a quick walk around the block, a few minutes quiet meditation, or a quick jog on the spot, something to move your body and give your brain a chance to close off one set of activities, refresh itself as to your aims for the next and prepare.

That’s all for this post, feel free to check out the RiF Inner Circle for useful templates and other resources to help implement some of these ideas, and this page if you want support with a grant application!