Overcoming Overwhelm: Strategies for a Productive Workday

Understanding Overwhelm in the Workplace

I have conducted literally thousands of coaching consultations with business professionals and executives over 30 years. You might imagine that I have encountered a wide range of challenges. In medicine, it’s often said, “common things occur commonly.” In coaching, one of those common challenges is overwhelm.

A typical scenario involves someone who feels they have too much to do in too little time. Many people complain that their to-do list never seems to get shorter. They often reach the end of the working day with this list essentially untouched. As a result, the “real work” often happens late in the day, usually after dinner.

The Roots of Overwhelm

The reasons for this overwhelm can be varied and complex. However, one key factor that stands out is reactivity.

What do I mean by reactivity? Many of us have our schedules dictated by external demands. These include emails, instant messages, meeting invitations, and requests for catch-ups or calls. Making ourselves available for all these interruptions, on top of an already full schedule, makes it nearly impossible to tackle the tasks that need our attention. All of this constitutes “work,” but the problem is that no actual work is getting done.

The Power of Solocution

A practical solution is to carve out time in the day for solo task execution—what I like to call solocution. Everyone's needs are a bit different, but I’ve found that about two hours a day is what it takes to get through the essentials without having to do them after dinner.

Right now, you might feel that your schedule has no room for this time. However, even the busiest people can typically find space in their diaries if they look ahead far enough—usually about three weeks.

Benefits of Scheduling Solocution

Scheduling time for solocution comes with several benefits:

1. A Clearer Mind

Our minds often remind us of tasks we haven’t completed. One way to silence these nagging thoughts is to do the tasks. Another way is to plan and schedule when they will be done.

2. Less Delay and Procrastination

When you schedule tasks, they’re less likely to be pushed off into the future. This means things get done in a more timely fashion.

3. Less 'Bloat'

According to Parkinson’s Law, tasks expand to fill the time allowed for them. By putting tasks in a defined time box, you can handle them more efficiently.

4. Greater Productivity During the Day

This approach reduces the need to complete tasks late in the day or evening.

Protecting Your Solocution Time

For this strategy to work, your solitary time needs to be protected. Many people I speak with admit they give up this time too readily.

I don’t work inside a corporate environment myself, but I’ve been collaborating with corporates for 30 years. I believe I have a sense of the potential pressures. If there’s a genuine need for speed and responsiveness, that should take precedence. People need to judge this for themselves. Generally, if the issue comes from outside the organisation (like a client request), it should probably be prioritised. However, if the request is internal, it can often be scheduled for another time. For most people, most requests are internal.

The Challenge of Saying No

Some individuals—especially those with people-pleasing tendencies—struggle with saying no. A helpful way to reframe this is to think of it as “not now” instead of a flat-out no. We’re simply not allowing the request to invade our time for getting things done. I sometimes encourage people to give themselves the same respect they would offer someone else. It’s rare for someone to send apologies for a meeting that’s about to happen. Yet, many people do this when it comes to essential tasks for the day.

A Proactive Approach to Time Management

To summarise, the advice is to be less reactive and more proactive about how you spend your time.

Being strategic, even for a small portion of the day, often pays huge dividends in terms of reducing overwhelm and boosting productivity. As a nice bonus, many people find their evenings more relaxing. Some even manage to get to sleep an hour earlier! The compounding benefits of this cannot be overstated.

Conclusion: Embrace Solocution for a Better Work-Life Balance

Incorporating solocution into your daily routine can transform your work life. By protecting this time and prioritising your tasks, you can reduce feelings of overwhelm and enhance your overall productivity. So, why not give it a try? You might just find that a little planning goes a long way in helping you feel better and perform at your peak.

Remember, the goal is to build resilient, high-achieving organisations. Let’s empower ourselves and our teams to thrive!