10 Things You Can Do When Feeling Overwhelmed

Online business owners have to wear many hats at the same time, especially at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey. Feeling overwhelmed by the number of tasks, time pressure, and competition on the market are not uncommon. What we do about it makes all the difference because it doesn't have to stay that way.

Indeed, running your online business can be overwhelming at times, but there are ways to manage your processes better. I've collected ten useful tips to help you reduce the pressure and get more organized in your business. Feel free to hit reply once you've read through the list and let me know what was most helpful recommendation! 

1# Identify Your Source of Overwhelm and Declutter

The first step to dealing with overwhelm is by reviewing and replanning. Sit back and ask questions. What is going wrong recently? What could you do better? Where do you need changes and improvements in your business? Have you taken up too many tasks?

Learn to do less to achieve more. Tim Ferris talks about focusing on 20% of effort that would produce 80% of great results. Focus only on the things that are priorities and put them first. Drop the ball, declutter, and re-strategize.

2# Build and Preserve Better Boundaries

For the sake of sanity, boundaries are always a great step for everyone trying to deal with overwhelm. With boundaries, you can avoid over-stressing yourself and stretching yourself too thin.

Also, you need to learn to say "no" to some tasks or outsource them when when you can. Know your core talent, know what depletes your energies and be aware of choosing to use your time wisely. 

Some of the easiest ways to build better boundaries are by becoming self-aware and treating yourself with care. Know when to call it quits or move on without the fear of losing out.

3# Learn Patience

Good things don't always come easy, they take time and that includes your business. The process is called seed, time, and harvest.

Learn patience, so much so that you keep investing even without seeing results. Think of your business as a child taking its baby steps, with time, those steps become better. And I hear you..., social media is full of millionaires and billionaires earning piles of money while sleeping. There are overnight successes in every niche, but most successful businesses are not built that way. Even if you see the glitz and a glow, there is a lot of (consistent) hard work, time and energy invested until a business turns successful. 

How do you learn to build patience?

• By accepting the stage you are in right now, and planning for where you want to be.
• Practice mindfulness, and be at peace with yourself.
• Actively build your tolerance level and give yourself time to grow.

4# Write It Down

The deal is to write everything that comes to mind, your plans, your struggles, your pain, and how you intend to snap out of it.

Simon Sinek had said, "Ideas are like dreams, they would disappear unless we record them." By writing ideas down, you keep track of them as they come to work on them later. Some of the best ways to write down your plans and journey are by writing in a notepad or on your laptop. Starting up a blog would be great too.

5# Plan For It

While it is great to journal and write down ideas, it is never enough. Plan for it. Even before taking action, you should see the "big picture." Let's say you're planning to hit a particular milestone this week, also plan your next move after hitting it.

As an online business owner, after making massive sales online, your next plan should be to find ways to make customers long-term. A plan is like a map and with a good map, you cannot get lost or frustrated. 

6# Quit Fear and Take Action

Peter Marshall once said "Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned"

While having a to-do list is great, many plans and thoughts never leave the stage of an idea because of fear. This builds anxiety and can be overwhelming. You never got results or knew what it would be like because you never started.

The simple solution? Start taking action. This way you know what works and what doesn't and it helps you move on without having regrets about never trying at all.

7# Focus On Things You Can Control

Regrets have never been a good thing because most times we can't control these feelings. It's way better to focus on things you can control - by reading books, success stories, motivating yourself, and becoming optimistic. Do things that make you productive instead and push your focus there.

8# Set Micro-Goals

Instead of having to achieve your goal all in one chunk, break them into mini-goals. Set smaller milestones and celebrate them.

Ask yourself what you can do each week and each day to achieve a particular goal. Then break them down and take them one step at a time, or better still simplify them. It's easier to stay consistent with smaller milestones without feeling overwhelmed about your goals.

9# Reach Out For Support

Sometimes, you'll need to reach out to people who can motivate you and help you when you are down. This is where a support group with female online business owners like yourself would come in. You could also opt for a one-on-one session with a business coach. The aim is to get your mind and soul together because winning starts in your mind.

10# Enjoy The Process

Finally, enjoy the process, accept your wins with joy and losses in good fate. Explore other ways you can build your online business to look like your dream business. If you need to, grab a cup of coffee or go on a shopping spree just so you could relax and recharge. It's normal to feel overwhelmed with a big project but it's not okay to let it limit you.

There you go, here are the 10 things you can do to deal with overwhelm. I trust these tips will help you snap out of it and get you back on track in no time.

If overwhelm is taking over your life and you need help to get over a business hurdle, reach out and book a free discovery call with me. I offer intensive, 90-minutes strategy sessions to help put plans and milestones in place and support overwhelmed female business owners to start winning and start earning money with their business - from anywhere in the world.

If you are scared to start your online business, or worried about leaving your full-time 9-5 to work on your side-hustle full time, you might find this article useful about How to Overcome Fear and Start Your Online Business?