How to Reclaim Control When Everything Feels Like an Emergency
5 energy management tips for the overwhelmed professional
Your to-do list feels like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. The constant demands of high workloads and urgent requests can leave us feeling frazzled and unproductive.
Or maybe it’s just me?
Let’s pretend that I’m not alone in this and explore some practical strategies for prioritizing, delegating, and setting boundaries so we can manage our energy and regain control of our workdays.
1-Harness the power of prioritization
I know it’s hard to choose which task to start on when everything seems to be yelling. “pick me!” Here’s the secret: not everything is equally important. I know that may be hard to believe. It was hard for me, too until I discovered the Eisenhower matrix. Now, prioritization is my BFF. Here’s how you can use it:
Organize your tasks into four quadrants:
Urgent and Important: Handle these immediately.
Important but Not Urgent: Schedule these tasks.
Urgent but Not Important: Delegate these (if possible).
Neither Urgent or Important: These can wait or be eliminated.
Applying this approach to tasks helped me focus on what mattered most and avoid the trap of treating everything as a fire that needed immediate extinguishing.
2-Delegate like a boss
As a recovering perfectionist and control freak, I’ve often fallen into the trap of thinking I needed to do everything myself. An old mantra of mine was:
If I want it done right, I gotta do it myself!
If you’re a mom, I know you’ve said this at least once. I’ve since learned that this mindset can be hurtful to both productivity and well-being. I’ve accepted that delegation doesn’t mean I am weak or can’t handle things. Instead, it is a strategic tool for me to manage my workload. Awesome reframe, right?
If you want to delegate like a boss here’s what you can do:
Identify tasks that someone else can handle
Communicate with the individual what you’d like them to do and any special instructions
Trust the individual to follow your instructions and complete the tasks.
Once you get the hang of this, you’ll notice a huge burden being lifted off your shoulders and a significant reduction in stress and overwhelm.
3-Protect your energy with boundaries
I’ve spent half of my adolescent and young adult life incapable of setting or enforcing boundaries. It was a skill that I was never taught. Failure to set and reinforce boundaries is a common cause of burnout.
I know it’s easier to say “yes” than to put your foot down, however, your future self would appreciate it if you’d lean into saying “no” more often.
Look at it this way, by saying no, you’re saying yes to something else. For example, saying “no” to an extra project means saying “yes” to much needed rest, quality time with your family or time doing something you enjoy.
Get it?
I have a free tool with scripts to help you set boundaries if this is an area of struggle for you:
4-Take mindful breaks
Powering through your day is a recipe for exhaustion and decreased productivity. Believe it or not, practicing mindful breaks can boost your productivity. Your mindful break can include:
Stepping away from your desk to stand in the sun (my favorite)
Taking a walking meeting
Stretching exercises
A quick meditation session ( I use the Calm app and Balance)
If you’d like to get a free, one-year subscription with Balance, click this link (affiliate).
These short mindful breaks renew your energy and focus.
5-Use tech wisely
For me, technology is a both a blessing and a curse. While it does offer tools to streamline my work, it also contributes to overwhelm, and a constant sense of urgency.
Some days I just have to turn on Do-Not-Disturb just to reclaim my sanity. I’m getting better at using technology to my advantage by setting up systems to enhance my productivity rather than take away from it.
Consider leveraging task management apps like Google Tasks, Todoist or Microsoft To Do to organize your workload and stay on top of deadlines. I put everything on my calendar at work and home to do time blocking. This helps me minimize context switching and multi-tasking. I’ve found that I get a lot more done this way without unnecessary stress or overwhelm.
Final thoughts
I truly believe that reclaiming control when everything feels like an emergency is possible with the right strategies. Remember, it’s not about doing more; it’s about doing what matters most efficiently.
Try one of the 5 tips I’ve shared and see how it works for you. Be sure to share your experience in the comments!