7 strategies for surviving the busy seasons
When I ask someone how they’re doing, I get one of two responses 98% of the time:
The classic: “Good, thanks.”
Or equally common: “Busy.”
Busy seems to be our norm.
Due to some recent unforeseen developments in my personal life, I have found myself to be in an extra crazy busy season. Thankfully, nothing bad or tragic has happened, but the changes have demanded a lot of mental and physical time and energy.
Here’s what I’m learning: sometimes we can’t stop the busyness, but we can choose how to walk through it.
Regardless of life’s demands, it’s hugely important to me to be fully present and engaged with my clients. I’m not willing to sacrifice on this, and I’m guessing you feel the same commitment to your team.
So how do you continue to show up for the people and work that need your best when your head is spinning and your plate is overflowing? These seven strategies have been lifesavers for me over the past few weeks.
1. Make lists.
I have five different lists in the “Reminders” app on my phone, each representing a different category of to-dos. As soon as a task pops in my mind, I note it in the corresponding list. I find it especially helpful to do a brain dump right before bed as it clears my mind and enables me to sleep better. Admittedly, the recent chaos in my life has sparked much more frequent list additions, including middle-of-the-night entries, but as soon as they’re documented, my anxiety goes down.
Bonus: science supports the benefits this practice. When we mark a task as “complete” on our list, the brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that generates feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction and happiness. It feels good to make a list and check it off.
2. Brain dump.
In addition to the pre-bedtime brain dump mentioned in #1, I do this exercise before each meeting as well. I take one minute to write down any racing thoughts or ideas right before joining the call or stepping into the conference room. Instead of worrying that I’ll forget it during the meeting—which causes the thought to replay over and over—I get it out of my head and on paper so I can focus.
3. Video on.
As often as possible, I turn my webcam on during virtual meetings. The temptation to multitask will hunt me down if I’m not making eye contact with the other meeting participant/s. Face-to-face or video-to-video engagement holds us accountable to being present.
4. Notifications off.
During meetings or focused working time, I turn notifications off on my computer and phone. Even as I write this blog post, notifications are intentionally turned off. Remember the research I shared about our cognitive abilities when attempting to multitask in this Two-Minute Tip? It’s not pretty.
5. Acknowledge & interrupt.
No matter how hard I try to eliminate distractions and focus on the person or work in front of me, sidetracking thoughts will surface. I give myself some grace, but also don’t want give to the distractions any extra power. So, I acknowledge the divergent thought and interrupt it—I stop the replay. My favorite interruption tool is to write it down and save it for later.
6. Change of scenery.
If home tasks are piling up, I go to the office to focus on work. If something at work is distracting a client, I invite them go on a walk or to a coffee shop for our one-on-one. The point is: mix it up. I am guilty of hunkering down in one place to maximize efficiency, but in the end, this actually degrades productivity. Lately, the treadmill desk at my new office has been my favorite hack for changing the scenery and boosting efficiency.
Side note: interested in a treadmill desk? I used to have a homemade one that I loved. We bought an inexpensive, fold-up manual treadmill (like this one) and placed it under sturdy wall shelf. Give it a try!
7. Healthy habits.
I try not to let the healthy habits slide. We’re talking exercise, good food, plenty of water and sleep. I know I sound like a mom, but I am one, so it just comes out naturally. During this crazy season, I have stuck with my morning workouts, grabbed quick handfuls of raw broccoli for snacks and carried a water bottle with me at all times. If I’m honest, adequate sleep has been sacrificed, but I’m getting back on track. My brain cannot function the way I need it to at work if I’m not taking care of my body. There’s no way around it. Plus, who wants to physically feel crummy on top of being busy? Not me.
No doubt you have your own strategies. Share them in the comments below!
Remember, we can’t always avoid the busy seasons, but we can choose to walk through them well.