How to Avoid and Defeat Overwhelm in Creative Business
When overwhelm starts to show it’s ugly head, it’s time to take action and stop it in its tracks.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it might be a sign that something isn’t quite right.
Sometimes it can be out of our control, but often times, it’s tied to how we are approaching our business and managing things. If you’ve been spinning your wheels or find yourself stuck in a cycle of trying-and-failing, it’s time to take control.
Overwhelm can quickly lead to burnout if it hasn’t already.
But not to worry, I have your back with some tried-and-true strategies.
Try these tricks to put overwhelm at bay.
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1 // Get to the root cause of the overwhelm.
Determine the what contributes to your overwhelm.
Overwhelm can come in many forms, and most likely, it’s from a combination of things. Try to pinpoint all possible elements that might be contributing to your overwhelm.
To do this, take a look at where your time and energy is going so you can track down what’s zapping your energy or motivation. Have a brainstorm session, and list everything on your plate and on your mind.
Write down what you’re experiencing and feeling. This will help you get to the bottom of where your overwhelm is coming from.
Here are a few questions to guide you:
Are there responsibilities and events in your personal life that are taking a toll?
Do you feel disorganized and unable to get a handle on everything?
Are you worn out from all of the tasks and hustle-bustle of your business?
Have you been in a cycle of not reaching goals, and now you feel discouraged?
Are you feeling defeated from being repeatedly behind schedule?
Is comparison or imposter syndrome deflating you?
Are you you struggling with analysis paralysis? What about decision fatigue?
Do you feel behind the curve and stuck in your tracks, unable to progress?
Is perfectionism holding you back from thriving and completing action steps?
Are you going through a busy season in life that will eventually pass?
List out everything that is contributing to your mental load. Identify all areas of stress and overload to determine why you’re feeling maxed out.
Take stock of your tasks and responsibilities.
When you feel overwhelmed, chances are you have a lot going on. Because overwhelm usually comes for a visit when there are extra things added to our plate. If we have a lot going on and we’re pulled in different directions, it can throw everything off.
So it’s helpful to sift through everything to get a clear picture of your to-do’s.
Think about your responsibilities, and write out each and every task and role you have. Once you know what you’re working with, you will be able to pair down and focus on what matters most.
Add all of your to-do’s, tasks, habits, responsibilities, etc. to your list.
2 // Get organized and create physical space to flourish
One of the best ways I’ve found to get out from under overwhelm is to take some time to get organized. It frees up space so you have less visual clutter on your mind.
I recommend getting your personal life in order first because, after all, your business starts with you. When the personal side of things is running smoothly, your business endeavors will follow suit.
Prepare and tidy up.
For me that looks like having a tidy home with prepared meals. This gives me the ability to focus and lets me be free to get straight to work—rather than getting distracted by putting things away or figuring out what to eat for breakfast.
For instance, during a workweek, nothing interrupts me or nags at my mind like having to figure out what to eat. I dread those stomach-growl-interruptions when they’re paired with an empty fridge.
So I suggest making mealtime easy by doing some prep work. It might look like a weekly grocery haul, cooking your lunch and dinner the evening before, or having stacks at the ready. It makes all the difference, and is one of my best methods for preventing overwhelm in the first place.
And when it comes to physical items, if there are extra things out lying around, I’ll sit down to work. But I won’t get very far because the cluttered space tends to clutter my mind, and I get right back up and put the items away. Same goes for a messy sink or counter.
But a well-organized home goes a long way for my focus, so I like to keep my house and workspace in running order. Decluttering is my favorite way to create space and stay on top of everything.
Figure out what you need to organize in order to gain traction again, and create a functional workspace so you can be productive working from your home, studio, or office. Brainstorm small ways you can get ahead of the game whether it be by meal prepping, cleaning, or waking up early.
3 // Prioritize tasks and cut out the fluff to create mental space
Next, it’s time to take a look at your tasks to identify what’s actually important. Only when you get rid of the pieces holding you back can you begin to thrive. Cutting out the fluff gives you room to think and helps you gain traction. This step is also critical for finding clarity and setting your new course to move forward.
Prioritize your tasks.
Take a look back at your list from step 1, and sort your tasks into two categories: personal and business.
Then, create sub groups to get a clear picture of the various things you spend your time doing and working on. For example, home improvement, cleaning, errands, family time, etc. for personal. And writing, product creation, marketing, emailing, client work, and so on for business.
You’ll also want to include the things you hope to work on. Think about your goals for the future—both long-term and short-term. To differentiate them, put an asterisk next to these to-do’s and habits you haven’t yet started on.
Next, fill your sub groups with the involved tasks, arranging them according to priority.
Cut out what isn’t working, and get rid of the fluff.
Now you want to get a sense for the to-do’s that need to stay and the ones that might have to go. Think about the lower priority items. How critical are they? What can you bump off the list?
Most likely, many of your personal tasks are important ones that you shouldn’t cut out. So think of ways to be more efficient with them to save some time and energy.
What can you tackle in bulk to be more efficient?
How can you prepare to stay ahead of the game?
Who can you lean on in times of business and difficulty?
When it comes to business tasks, there will likely be items to get rid of. So have a look at your list, and audit your to-do’s.
What’s getting in the way of your personal responsibilities?
What’s holding you back from thriving?
What tasks aren’t necessary or helping you reach your goals?
Maybe you spend too much time posting on Instagram without getting any results. Maybe you’re writing blog posts without ensuring each piece of content will fit into your marketing funnel. When you throw content into the wind, it won’t help you succeed; it actually inhibits you and uses up your time.
Once you begin to see what might be running you ragged, it’s time to cut them out and replace your approach with a plan that helps you flourish, which brings us to the next step.
4 // Restructure your approach
When you stay focused and you have a clear strategy in place, you’ll be on your way to defeating overwhelm.
Create a solid Brand Strategy.
Get back to the basics, and rebuild your plan of attack by starting with something called brand strategy. If something hasn’t been working for a while, it might be time to revise your approach or aim for something else.
It’s better to be realistic and switch gears onto a new track instead of staying stuck in the hamster wheel. This will only wear you out and continue adding to feeling overwhelmed. And it almost always leads to burnout.
In fact, I find that many creatives struggle with this. They keep creating plans and keep missing the marks. They aren’t quite sure why they’re stuck, but they know something isn’t quite right. How could so many great ideas fall flat?
The issue isn’t with them or with their capabilities, it’s with their brand strategy. Usually their lack of one.
And when your strategy is off, it makes everything hang in the clouds:
You won’t know what goals to set, and you won’t know what tasks to focus on. It can even make your marketing efforts fruitless.
Once you have your brand strategy square away, you can build your plan with tasks that yield results.
Only do effective tasks.
Don’t feel pressured to do everything. Instead, question everything.
Are you supposed to post on Instagram each day? Are you supposed to publish 3 blog posts each week? Are you supposed to send a newsletter twice each week? Is that product or service idea actually the best route to take? What will actually help you get where you ultimately want to be? What ideas and plans will help you reach your overarching goals?
This is key.
The tasks you do to start and grow your business will vary greatly from another entrepreneur. Why? Because every decision starts with your brand strategy, and it’s unique to each and every business.
When you base your tasks off of your brand strategy, all of your to-do’s will actually propel you forward. They will help you make progress. Your plan will actually be doable, and your carefully selected goals are infinitely easier to achieve.
They key is to identify your underlying goals, and then, know where to aim and how to get there. Because the possibilities are endless, it can often lead to analysis paralysis, decision fatigue, overwhelm, and burnout. And it often looks like a repeated pattern of trying, failing, trying something new, failing again, and getting discouraged.
5 // Get help navigating your ideas and goals
Take advantage of Brand Strategy Coaching.
Shameless plug:
If you’re spinning your wheels and aren’t sure where to turn, consider working with me to get clarity and create a solid brand strategy.
We’ll take a look at everything on your plate, and we’ll dive into your goals. I’ll help you identify the most effective steps to take. We can audit your tasks and where you tend to get stuck.
And if you’re just getting started, now is the perfect time too.
Helping creative brands and business owners is my passion, and nothing makes me more excited than a brainstorm and strategy session followed by a solid plan.
I know exactly what it’s like to feel stuck and overwhelmed. After almost running my first business into the ground, I finally began to figure our where I went wrong. I wanted to share that knowledge with other creative entrepreneurs, and I created Ponder Trail to carry out that mission.
Overcoming business overwhelm is easier than you think—you just need to know what steps to take. And that’s exactly what I’m here for. Head over to my Brand Strategy Coaching page to see how I might be able to serve you. I’m excited to chat with you!
Have you experienced overwhelm as a creative entrepreneur? What did you do to overcome it? Maybe you’ve ridden the wave for a duration, but I hope these practices will help you lessen the overwhelm and rise above it!
