Blue Monday and Overwhelm
January 21st, 2015 by Morna
By some accounts, Blue Monday was this week. What is Blue Monday, you ask? It goes back to a campaign created by Sky Travel in 2005. It’s the day you realize that you need to take action. It is a pseudo-scientific calculation that considers weather conditions, debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and our ability to pay), time since Christmas, time since failing our New Year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action.
I think it is when you look ahead and see all you have set to accomplish this year and start to feel overwhelmed when you have not really gotten started. I am seeing this in some of my clients and ICAP members who already realize that they have got too much on their plate. And, yes, part of me feels this way sometimes, too. What I start down that overwhelm path of thinking, I remember the “whelmed” model that one of my husband’s clients came up with. Whelmed is that space between underwhelmed and overwhelmed, where you are in “the zone.” People who are whelmed are clear about what they do and are determined to get it done. I can always tell when I am in the whelmed zone. I feel really productive, energized and thrilled at what I have accomplished at the end of the day.
- Learn how to recognize when you are getting into overwhelm. If you can tell you are on the verge – or already there – then you take action. First thing I like to do is take a breath, or as I have been know to tell myself, “Get a grip.”
- Remember to look at the facts. Sometimes we confuse our impressions of what needs to be done with the truth. Write down everything that needs to be done.
- Focus is key. You need to be clear about what your goals are. Is everything on your “to-do” list really necessary? Take a look at the list you created above and follow the “four Ds.” If something is not a priority, see if you can Delete it from the list. Next, look for those items you can Delegate to someone else. Third, what can you Defer until sometime later without creating problems? And, for those items you can defer, again consider if they are really necessary.
- Prioritize. OK, you have probably winnowed down your list to something that might be a bit more manageable. Now, what are the three top priorities on your list? Put a time for them in your calendar. And, allow more time than you think. This is one of the reasons I can get into overwhelm, trying to do more than I physically can in the allotted time.
- Now get going with the list. This is the fourth “D” – Do – and let go of perfection as you work on your list. I have a sign in my office that says, “Progress, not Perfection.” Some people use the term Imperfect Action here.
- And remember at the end of the day, if something doesn’t get done, you are probably the only one who knows it. I learned that one from my mother, who told me as I was stressed out about some little something that wasn’t what I expected for my wedding day. She reminded me that the only one who knew that the color on my wedding cake didn’t exactly match the color on the bridesmaid’s dresses was me.
Here’s a favorite quote that sums up for me the feeling of being “whelmed”:
Margaret Thatcher
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Morna McEver is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription athttp://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.
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