9 Ways to Regain Focus When Feeling Overwhelmed

As business owners, we often find ourselves feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Putting out fires, keeping up with the day to day and managing the drama that comes from working with employees and customers, can all leave us feeling out of control. Below you will find nine very practical and easy ways you can get back into focus and regain your sanity.

1. Delegate stuff - You have a lot of responsibilities and wear a lot of hats. Taking on too much has probably become the norm and not the exception. Trying to do everything yourself leads to things falling through the cracks – which makes you feel even more overwhelmed.
   
   While some things can’t be done by someone else, some can. Figure out what that list looks like and train someone to handle it – or outsource it. Another option for delegating is automating a process – or even just streamlining it.
   
   
2. Plan Out Your Projects - If you don’t know the details of what needs to be done and their deadlines, projects feel bigger than they really are. Start with identifying the key milestones of the project. Then create all the steps you will need to complete the project. Then you can plan out a timeline and schedule times to complete each task.
   
   
3. Learn to Say No - It’s hard for business owners to say no. Everything feels like an opportunity that we don’t want to turn down. Since we only have so much capacity, we must learn to identify the things that are key to our success and say no to anything that doesn’t complement our goals.
   
   Establish margin and only commit to that boundary. Then when things get crazy, you still have capacity without crashing and burning in a ball of good intentions.
   
   
4. Organize your desk - The more I spiral into overwhelm, the messier my desk becomes. Taking 10 or 15 minutes… or half a day to clean your desk and workspace will boost productivity and increase focus.
   
   
5. Focus on One Task at a Time - It’s hard to focus if you have 100 things swirling around in your head. Every morning, right down your big 3 tasks for the day. Use a timer for 15 to 30 minute sessions of absolute focus on one task.
   
   
6. Don’t Neglect Your Physical & Mental Health - Eating right, getting exercise, drinking water, quiet times – whatever self-care looks like for you – do it.
   
   
7. Write it Down - Get it out of your head. If all the things are out of your head and written down, it will quiet the chaos. Visualizing it often makes it seem less overwhelming than it did in your head.
   
   
8. Make Time for Family & Friends - Make sure you don’t neglect the ones you love. Keep space in your life for love and friendship.
   
   
9. Give Yourself a Break - Running a business is hard. Give yourself a break. You got this!

Next time you find yourself distracted and stressed, take a moment to apply one or two (or all!) of these suggestions and soon you’ll be back on track.