After several months in quarantine or working fewer hours than we were once used to, the time has come when Americans are returning to work completely or slowly re-adjusting to a more “normal” work life. Whether you are getting back to the pre-pandemic work grind you were once used to or simply trying to re-adjust to having to work again at all, managing your workload can be overwhelming, particularly with everything else that’s currently going on.
For blue-collar workers or those who interact regularly with others as part of their worklife, the adjustment can be particularly tricky, as the new health and safety measures can add significant time and stress to an already busy and stressful job. If managing your workload is something that you are trying to adjust to, here are some ways to help you cope and keep you from getting too overwhelmed.
TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME
Ever heard that phrase “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Well, it might sound silly, but it’s actually great advice when it comes to keeping yourself from getting too overwhelmed. When you look at a project or task as a whole, it can seem like so much work that you don’t even know where to begin or how to tackle it. This can cause a lot of people to go into panic mode and shut down entirely, setting them even further back.
The best way to manage a huge project or task is simply to take it one small step at a time. Organize what you need to do and create a plan, then break the task down into manageable chunks. Tackling things step by step can help you to move forward and get work done instead of just worrying and procrastinating.
HAVE A SCHEDULE
Depending on your line of work, your days can be frustratingly unpredictable. But setting yourself up for success by trying to schedule as much of your day out as possible can help hugely. When it comes to getting tasks completed and ensuring you are allocating yourself enough time to get jobs done, having your day planned out is a tremendous help. Flying by the seat of your pants isn’t always a great way to be productive!
Plan your days out in advance as best you can. It can be as simple as writing yourself a todo list so you know what you need to achieve that day, or if you prefer you can set your day up with allocated time slots to complete jobs. It doesn’t matter how you schedule out your day, as long as it suits your needs and you can stick to it.
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK
Whether you’re out and about doing manual labor or working in front of a computer, giving yourself regular breaks is seriously important. Not only do breaks allow you to unwind for a little bit and refocus yourself, but if you don’t take breaks you’re bound to burn yourself out far too quickly. If you want to get your work done efficiently and keep focused, breaks are essential!
It doesn’t matter whether it’s setting aside an hour to take a proper lunch break or just going for a quick walk around the block, do whatever it takes to give yourself some time during your workday to not think about work!
PRIORITIZE
A good way to tackle multiple projects is to prioritize which ones are the most important and get those out of the way first. If you have multiple different jobs to get to, or several individual tasks that need completing, create a list of which ones are the most pressing and start there.
For many people returning to work, they’re finding themselves thrown right in at the deep end, with a laundry list of jobs and tasks to get done and not enough time to do them. If you don’t prioritize, it can be easy to lose track of what you’re doing or not allow yourself enough time to take care of the most important tasks.
It can be easy when we have a lot on our plates to think that doing the smaller tasks first is the right way to go, but then you just have the harder stuff to handle at the end of the day when you’re more tired. Get that tricky stuff sorted out so you don’t have to worry about it!
UNDERSTAND THE NEW REGULATIONS
No matter where you are or what job you’re doing, there’s bound to be some changes that have arisen due to the pandemic. This is particularly true if you don’t have a job that allows you to work remotely or from home. In-person jobs that require you to interact with others can be significantly more stressful during this time.
The best way to work through these new unprecedented times? Understand the new regulations and know what it is you have to do to get your job done safely. Be prepared to jump through some regulatory hoops to keep yourself (and your co-workers) safe and healthy during this time.
For most of us, work has always been overwhelming and stressful at times, and the current climate isn’t doing anything to help that! In fact, most people are probably feeling even more stressed out. Although there’s no real way to keep yourself entirely stress-free, there are certain steps you can take to eliminate as much of your job-related tension as possible and ensure that you’re getting your work completed.