How to stay productive when you feel overwhelmed

We’ve recently spoken about feeling overwhelmed a lot here at Pedddle, and ways you can stay productive when you feel overwhelmed and keep your business afloat.

Not only have the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns caused much turbulence and distress, but the new tier system has let to further complications for many small business owners, and in the run-up to Christmas we want you to know that Pedddle are here to listen and help you with that overwhelm.

Our past IG Lives have covered the idea of feeling overwhelmed, and we’ve written blogs on overcoming Christmas overwhelm, planning a product business amidst the pandemic, making career changes during the pandemic and the impact that having a positive mindset has on your business – all with a view to helping you handle those overwhelming feelings and not feel alone.

How to stay productive when you feel overwhelmed

Many of our stallholders suffer with overwhelm from time to time. We recently asked for their top tips on staying productive in these times, and we’re sharing our findings below.

Read on to find out there top tips, and please know that you’re never alone.

5 Top Tips to avoid overwhelm

1. Set a time of day to work. This can be whatever works best for you. Whether it’s the classic 9 to 5 or if you prefer working from midday onwards or just in the evenings, it’s entirely up to you – just try not to work outside of those hours. Don’t go checking up on your business Instagram late at night, messages can wait ’til morning! Things can always wait.
2. Exercise. This is a biggie. It’s important to get those endorphins stimulated when you feel down, so whether you need to push yourself for a short walk or feel up to a run, you know you’ll feel better once you’ve got a little exercise under your belt. When we’re cooped up at home for long periods we often don’t realise how little exercise we’re getting, and this has a massive effect on our general and mental health. If you don’t fancy venturing outdoors (let’s face it, the weather is pretty rubbish right now!), try Yoga With Adriene for a gentle home yoga workout or maybe a classic Joe Wicks workout for the more adventurous.
3. Eat properly. Seems obvious, right? However, when you’re running a creative business it’s easy to get stuck into the creative flow and forget to eat well. This will not help you!
4. Make lists. We LOVE a good list here at Pedddle, and often have lists of lists ourselves – it’s easy to get caught up in it! However, when you make a proper To Do list it helps get your thoughts out of your mind and onto paper, so you can organise and prioritise your workload without missing anything.
5. Take the pressure off. It’s ok to take a break! It’s not always procrastinating – sometimes you just need to make a cuppa and take 5 minutes to relax before cracking on again.

How do you stay productive when you feel overwhelmed and distracted?

• Set a timer. Allocate a set time frame for different tasks. It is important not to beat yourself up if you don’t complete a task on time, however, this will help you see how long it realistically takes to do a task and prioritise better in future. Set limits on jobs – if you have checked your emails for over an hour, take a break, do something different and come back to it later so you don’t burn out.
• Leave your phone in another room. Most of us are addicted to our phones. If a task can be done on your laptop or doesn’t require technology, leave your phone in a different room where you can’t hear it for a couple of hours whilst you’re working – don’t be tempted into distractions! This is a good tip for social media, to help you keep focused on the task in hand. If you can check on your socials via a laptop or iPad, it may help you switch off from the socials after you’ve finished work but still have access to your personal social media accounts via your phone. Make sure you keep them separate so you can switch off.
• Schedule your social media posts. Platforms such as Later.com, SocialOomph, Buffer and countless others will allow you to schedule your social media posts in advance, so you don’t need to remember to post frequently at optimal times. You can then set a certain time and amount of time each day to check your social media channels, respond to DMs and so on, without worrying about posting or being stuck for ideas.
• Let things go. It’s time to be honest with yourself and let things go that aren’t working. What are you doing that isn’t making an impact? Perhaps you don’t have the Facebook reach you’d like but have success on Insta – ditch it and focus on the channels you have success with! Perhaps there’s a product line you love but just isn’t selling? Move on to something new. It’s time to focus on the things that are working for you, that bring you success, and will help you stay productive when you feel overwhelmed.