Top Secrets To Avoid Overwhelm As A Writer and WAHM

It doesn’t have to be this way!

Do you feel overwhelmed, like all the time!?

We have all been there.

You are running your own writing business and the work is piling up, the chores need doing, and you cannot seem to get on top of things.

That feeling of being overwhelmed can quickly turn to panic and procrastination, which will lead you down the rabbit-hole of giving up, never ending stress and exhaustion.

Here are a few tips on beating those feelings of overwhelm to get your work done and enjoy your life!

Learn to prioritise!

Are you obsessing and stressing over all the things you need to do?

Does your to-do list keep growing instead of shrinking?

Ask yourself, is every single one of those things on your to do list truly necessary?

I find that too often I put pressure on myself to assign top priority to every little thing on my to-do list. Are you the same?

One simple way of overcoming this is to keep your to-do list concise.

Keep it short and to the point and it will go a long way to alleviate those feelings of overwhelm and panic.

If you still find that your to-do list is growing longer then your arm, then sit down with your list and re-examine it. Be brutally honest with yourself and work out what is top priority, and what can be put off for a day, a week, or longer.

This is where my trusty highlighters come out to play! I colour code my to-do list.

• Pink = urgent! Do now (or as soon as possible),
• Orange = semi-urgent, needs to be done within a week.
• Blue = not urgent, but should be done within a 2–3 week time frame.
• Green = things that are not due for a while (i.e a month or so).

I am a very visual person, and I find this colour scheme really helps. Of course the list needs to be updated on a regular basis, but it helps you to continually evaluate what your are putting on there and what needs to be a top priority.

Organised chaos for the win!

I do harp on about being organised, but it is your saving grace!

Nothing contributes to stress levels and feeling overwhelmed like a stack of papers, tasks and what looks like a never-ending pile of work on your desk. Your motivation will plummet and you will find every excuse to procrastinate.

So how do you overcome this?

First, I aim to keep my desk neat and tidy. This goes a LONG way to helping me feel more organised.

Second, I break down all larger, complex projects into smaller tasks.

For example if I have a large article, or even a book, I will break it down into sections and dot points to be completed.

Example: A 2000 word article on “How to train your dog using positive reinforcement”.

Will be broken down into the following tasks:

• Research
• Outline (introduction, subheadings, conclusion)
• Rough Draft
• Final Draft
• Revise and Edit

With each of these tasks, I usually put a note next to them of their “due date”. And then I use batching to schedule everything in.

Third, keep your emails and google drive organised!

Don’t just save files anywhere. Create a system that works for you to keep all your work organised. And don’t forget to BACK EVERYTHING UP!

Failure to plan is planning to fail.

Organisation and re-prioritising of your tasks and to-do lists will help you form a plan and schedule of how to tackle your workload throughout the week.

If you have a plan it will go a long way in helping you feel in control of your work, and therefore alleviate that feeling of being overwhelmed. It gives you a framework of how the day ahead is going to go, so when you start in the morning (or whenever you conduct your freelance and writing work) you have a beginning point.

Something I live by:

“Failure to plan is planning to fail”.

Batching is one of the best time management and planning tools you could use!

Tackle many projects at the same time

When you have multiple projects at the same time how do you normally tackle them? Do you complete one, then the other, and then the other? Or do you tackle them all at the same time?

Personally, I find that if I have multiple projects on the go at once that the best way is to try make a dent in each one daily so that I am making constant progress on all of them.

Batching helps me accomplish this! Make sure you read the article above to find out how.

Learn to say NO!

You can do it, repeat after me: “NO”. It is a simple, two-letter word, yet for some reason many of us have a hard time saying it. NO!

You absolutely do not need to take on every single project that comes your way.

It is ok to say NO!

Ask yourself, would a client prefer you to be honest from the start and tell them you cannot take on their project as you already have a full workload, or to hand in poor quality work because you were so overwhelmed by your workload?

It is smarter to turn them away and hope they return when you are not so busy, then risk developing a bad reputation for poor quality work.

So, let’s practice one last time….NO!

And finally, ask for help!

Like saying no, asking for help appears to be hard for many of us. We hate not being perfect and in control of everything.

There is no shame in asking for help when you need it.

Can your partner help out with the chores so you can spend more time writing?

Can your children (if you have any) go visiting or into care for a few hours so you can finish that article?

Can a fellow freelancer or writer help you out (for a reasonable payment)?

Can you ask a client for an extension on the due date, without damaging that relationship?

The key is to ask for help, in whatever form that is, when you need it.

Rachel Maree is a writer, mum and registered nurse. Bringing you the real truth to parenting, nursing and writing (even when it is downright ugly). You can learn more or hire her to write amazing content for you — Rachel Maree.

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