1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:06,359 Speaker 1: Good morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: Today's tick is about how to stay afloat when life 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: is overwhelming. I recently got a letter from a listener 4 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: named Katie. She's a psychologist who works in private practice. 5 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 1: She writes that she's realized she has a pretty intense 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: tendency to overschedule. She's usually good about getting all the 7 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: things on her list done, but when life happens, such 8 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: as our entire family getting the flu, something that usually 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: can work just does not. I'm in that exact situation 10 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: right now, with about twenty one outstanding reports to write 11 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: and a scheduled ten hours of writing time before I 12 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 1: start billing again next week. The math doesn't work there. Basically, 13 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: she writes, I'm really trying to manage my time better 14 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: and set firmer boundaries, but Katie from two months ago 15 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: definitely did not. So I'm facing a seemingly insurmountable amount 16 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: of work to catch up on with not enough time 17 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: to do it. Do you have any tips or resources 18 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: for catching up after a time management slip up on 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: the excessively busy weeks? What are the best ways to 20 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 1: prioritize tasks that all need to be done now and 21 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: somehow manage life, parenting, and self care. Also, I'm sure 22 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: a lot of people can relate to Katie's situation. Many 23 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: of us go through really intense times at work. Sometimes 24 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: this is structural think accountants during busy season. Sometimes we've 25 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: overcommitted in the past, and now we're stuck with these obligations. 26 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: When something like illness or car trouble strikes, life can 27 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: feel like a frantic negotiation with the clock. We've all 28 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: been there, so I want to share what works for 29 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: me when life and my workload seems overwhelming. I do 30 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: these five things first. Prioritize sleep and exercise. I know 31 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: this might sound like a luxury if you're swamped, but 32 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: I have found that skimping on either of these just 33 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: ruins me in terms of ability to focus. If I 34 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 1: try to stay up until one am to get something done, 35 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: it will take me three hours to do what would 36 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: have taken me one hour at eight am after a 37 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: full night's sleep. So I force myself to shut it down. 38 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: I aim to be in my bed for at least 39 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: seven hours. I also make time to run for at 40 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: least twenty to thirty minutes each day. I generally feel 41 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: better after, and when I feel better, life feels more manageable. Second, 42 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: I make sure I know exactly what is on my plate. 43 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: Unknown stuff is scarier than known stuff, So I make 44 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: a list of what I have going on and when 45 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: that stuff needs to be done. That way, I can 46 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: make a wise plan, one that keeps me from doing 47 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: stuff that's due Friday before stuff that must be done tomorrow. 48 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: I can also judge what must be done by me 49 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: and what can be passed a law. I can figure 50 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: out what doesn't need to be done at all, or 51 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: at least not before things calm down. If I've lived 52 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: with that broken bench in my backyard for a year, 53 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: I can live with it for a few more months too. Third, 54 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: I make sure I have enough space to have a 55 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: fighting shot at tackling the backlog. For listeners who don't 56 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: have family obligations, this is probably straightforward. You just work 57 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: longer hours or on the weekend. But if you need 58 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: to make a six pm daycare pickup every day, that's 59 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: a lot harder. For our listener, Katie, I asked if 60 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: there was any time beyond the ten hours she thought 61 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: she had available for writing the reports. When I've been swamped. 62 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: I've talked with my husband and come to an agreement 63 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: that he take the kids for say, four hours on 64 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: the weekend so I can work. Then I'd then cover 65 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: for him at some other point. Katie likewise told me 66 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: that she worked out a deal with her family. As 67 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: I pointed out, she spent a lot of time with 68 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: her kids when they were sick, so sometimes this time 69 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: needs to be made up. There's really no reason to 70 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: feel guilty about that. Fourth, I resist the urge to 71 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: get on top of email. First. It feels really productive 72 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: to delete and answer emails, but email expands to fill 73 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 1: all available space. I'm usually better off tackling the big 74 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: things on the list first and then getting to the 75 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: emails later during lower energy times than if I do 76 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: this the other way around. Finally, it also helps to 77 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: realize that busy seasons are generally temporary. Tax and auditing 78 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: deadlines come and go, books and podcasts get launched into 79 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: the world. That conference you're planning happens, and then it's over. 80 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 1: Recognizing this can be helpful for understanding that there will 81 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: be more time for things like getting together with friends, 82 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: reading books, or catching up on your favorite shows later 83 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: or at least between busy times if you're careful with scheduling. 84 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: Our listener, Katie, was learning to be more careful to 85 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: leave open space in her current schedule so future family 86 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: illnesses could be taken in stride. The good news is 87 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: that if you make wise time choices now going forward, 88 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: things will get better. That little bit of hope can 89 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: definitely help us stay afloat when life seems overwhelming. This 90 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 91 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 92 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 93 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 94 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the 95 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: number four then Breakfast Pod. You can also shoot me 96 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast Podcast. At iHeartMedia dot com 97 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 1: that before breakfas us is spelled out with all the letters. 98 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.