Sometimes work can be very stressful. Especially when we have too much to do and not enough time to do it all. So what do we do when we’re overloaded with work? Here are 3 tips to help you manage all that stress and find happiness and serenity at work.

1 – Taking stock

When we’re overloaded with work, it’s essential to take stock. That is, to list precisely what we have to do.

First of all, we may exaggerate certain things.

In other words, making a mountain out of a molehill.

So, taking stock can help us to step back and even regain a certain serenity at work.

So, how do you take stock?

I invite you to list everything you do on a sheet of paper. What’s your typical day, or even your typical week?

Write down everything you do!

Do this over the course of a week, or even 15 days, so that you’re fully aware of the tasks you perform.

Above all, make this list with curiosity and kindness.

After all, you’re not here to judge or condemn.

I know that stress can make you harbor negative feelings and emotions.

But breathe!

You’ve already got a lot on your plate, so don’t add any more negativity.

What’s more, you’re taking matters into your own hands. So breathe, you’ll make it.

2 – Sorting out work overload

Once you’ve taken stock of your work overload, it’s time to sort things out.

After all, some of the things you’ve listed are more important than others.

In fact, you may even notice that you’re giving too much importance to things that, in the end, aren’t all that important.

That’s why sorting things out is essential to finding happiness and serenity at work.

So, how do you sort things out?

To do so, I wholeheartedly invite you to go back to the list you made, then put a note of importance on each of the tasks you do as part of your job.

5: it’s very important and 1: it’s not important.

Once you’ve written everything down, ask yourself these questions:

“How can I eliminate or delegate the tasks that have a rating of 1? And how can I prioritize tasks with a rating of 5?”

Give yourself time to find the answers to these questions.

But you’ll already see that seeing in black and white on a sheet of paper which tasks are important and which are less so will help you to reorganize yourself quite naturally and without even realizing it.

3 – Saying no

So, sometimes we get overloaded with work, not because of our current tasks, but because of those that other people add to them.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to know how to say no.

So, obviously, it’s not always possible to say no, but it’s certainly possible to find compromises.

“Okay, I’ll take care of that, but I need someone else to take care of this or that task for me.”

But, how do we know when to say no or when to compromise?

To do so, it’s essential to give ourselves permission, or ask for permission, to take time out to reflect.

We’re used to saying yes in the heat of the moment, to please, to avoid disappointment or conflict.

The problem is that this habit leads to overload.

So just learn to ask for time to think.

Then, while you’re thinking, ask yourself: “Do I have the time, the ability and even the desire to do this?”

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How to motivate yourself to work: 9 powerful levers
Discover Symptoms of overwork: 3 signs that can’t be mistaken (with tips)

In addition, I recommend this inspiring book on the subject:

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink:

There are books that you read, merely absorb and continue to read. Either these books have a major impact on you at a subconscious level and you don’t realize it until much later, or they have no impact on you at all. Other books seem to reframe your perspective immediately, and the more you converse, the more you find that the language of the text seeps into your conversations.
This book is an in-depth exploration of motivation in the workplace, providing insights into how to increase productivity and lessen the feeling of work overload.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself.