Feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone:

• A Families and Work Institute study cited in this ABC News article showed that more than half of U.S. employees feel overworked or overwhelmed at least some of the time.
• Research compiled by The American Institute of Stress show that job stress has escalated progressively over the past few decades – contributing to increased rates of heart attack, hypertension and other disorders.

And we pay a big price for that stress – over $300 billion annually for U.S. businesses – due to accidents, absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity, workers’ compensation awards and more.

As a nation, we’re stressed out. Burned out. And feeling generally overwhelmed by the lives we lead.

Where did things go so wrong? And more importantly, what can you do to alleviate that awful feeling that you’re being crushed by the weight of your work?

There’s no “quick fix,” but small changes can have a big impact on your ability to relax, focus and cope more effectively. Here are a few ideas to try:

Don’t Believe the Hype

“I’m soooo busy.” “I’m buried.” “I have too many plates spinning.” You probably hear phrases like this all the time at work, right? Have you ever considered why? As a society, we’ve been programmed to associate busyness with success. In a weird way, stress has become a status symbol: If you’re busy (or present yourself as such), people assume you’re smart, competent and worthy of admiration.

Don’t buy into it! Change your self-talk, as well as how you speak to others about your workload. Unless you relinquish the notion that overwhelmed = successful, you’ll never be able to make the changes you need.

Record and Prioritize

Get all your to-do’s out of your head – and onto some form of list, whether you choose a cloud-based organization tool or a low-tech notebook. Writing down everything that’s on your mind instantly reduces your worry and is the first step in getting organized.

Then, get ruthless. Accept the fact that you probably won’t accomplish everything on that list, today, without help. Decide what’s most important, what can wait and what you need to delegate. Resolve to tackle your highest priority items first.

Adopt Better Productivity Habits

Boosting productivity is essential to achieving work goals. And when you check more things off your list, you’ll be less overwhelmed (no surprise there, right?). In this post, our team shares 5 productivity hacks that will give you a little more breathing room each day.

Improve the Way You Start and End Each Work Day

If your office looks like a bomb hit it when you leave in the evening, guess what? You’re going to walk into that same whirling vortex of entropy the next morning. If you’re looking for tips to make your day more sane and productive, bookend it with the habits we share in this earlier post, “How Successful People Begin and End Their Workdays.”

Make Time for Yourself

One of the best ways to combat feeling overwhelmed is by carving out time to do things that you truly enjoy – whatever those may be. And when you schedule time for yourself, make it non-negotiable. Do what you must to feed your spirit and take care of yourself.

Are you or your staff members overwhelmed at work?

Adequate staffing levels can alleviate feelings of being overwhelmed, improving focus, productivity and engagement throughout your organization.

Whether it’s a single temporary for a day or an entire project team, Exact Staff delivers exceptional talent to meet your local or national requirements. What can we do for you? Contact a staffing expert at your local Exact Staff office today.