Making it manageable

I think that the state of being overwhelmed comes from having a lot to do without a belief that it can be done in the allotted time.

The narrative of:

“Oh my god I’ve got so much to do and no time to do it. I can’t get it all done but I have to”

Lends itself to working oneself into such a state that paralysis occurs.

It’s information overload so the mind deals with it by numbing oneself against the problems.

And I think the solution to this is baby steps, slowly but surely working your way through the list to create the belief that it’s manageable. That it can be done.

A good tactic I’ve discovered is the GTD methodology by David Allen. It involves capturing everything that’s on your mind and clarifying what is the specific next action that needs to be taken. Get it all out of your mind and create a plan for the baby steps because sitting there numb isn’t going to improve anything.