Avoiding Feeling Overwhelmed by Managing Time, Communicating, and Saying No
Trying new things can be exciting. At the start of last summer, I was accepted to an internship, which required that I take a 5-week course. During this time, I also worked full time as an assistant manager for an indoor pool. On top of this, the Interactive Measurement Group (IMG) resumed after a few weeks of summer vacation, and I was invited to be part of a poster team, for which I would create a conference poster. I was ecstatic to take advantage of these new opportunities: They would help enhance my skills and knowledge, which I could apply to my future career. However, my excitement died down as I quickly realized that I had bitten off more than I could chew. My daily schedule was packed to the brim with all my responsibilities, and it was difficult to enjoy my summer while also staying on top of everything. I felt so exhausted all the time, which caused me to procrastinate on virtually everything. This led me to feel even more overwhelmed because I would be racing at the last second to complete the bare minimum. After a few weeks of struggle and suffering, I realized I had to make some changes. Therefore, I adopted three new strategies that would help me overcome the challenges I was facing that summer, strategies that were so beneficial that I continue to use them today.
Procrastination and poor time management were a struggle of mine during this time, and I realized that a big portion of my stress could be attributed to these habits. So, the first thing I did was add specific times into my schedule where I would work on designated assignments well before the due date. Doing so allowed me to take my time when completing assignments and tasks. It also aided tremendously in reducing my anxiety and feelings of panic, as I wasn’t rushing to get things done. I did notice, though, that sometimes I underestimated the amount of time it would take me to complete something. To mitigate this, I began estimating the amount of time I thought was necessary to get a task done and then adding 20 minutes extra. I also began scheduling time over multiple days to work on bigger projects. Managing my schedule more effectively has had a significant impact on my life overall, reducing my stress and allowing me to have a good balance between my work, school, and home lives.
While I worked on making my schedule more manageable, I recognized something else that I could have been doing all along: communicating. I have always emphasized the importance of communicating personal needs to others, but I wasn’t applying this to my own life. Upon this realization, I decided to ask my internship supervisors and IMG lab mates for assistance on difficult tasks. For example, I began communicating more with my poster teammates when the tasks I had agreed to were taking much more time to complete than we had anticipated. Communicating within my internship site, the IMG, and my workplace benefited me tremendously. Because I grew more comfortable with asking for help, I can now complete my projects and tasks efficiently, even when I have a lot on my plate.
Along with adjusting my schedule and communicating, I also began saying no to tasks that I knew would overwhelm me. The first thing I did was reduce the number of hours I worked. At the beginning of summer, I had agreed to work almost every day, leaving little time for other responsibilities. Therefore, I began saying no to extra shifts and to tasks that would require me to work extra hours. This freed up some of my time so I could do things I enjoy. Similarly, when asked to do additional tasks or projects for my internship or the IMG, I thought about how long they would take and whether they would be too overwhelming. If I concluded they would cause me additional stress, I declined the offers. I used to have a hard time saying no to others, which led to a tight schedule with practically no free time. But the more I began saying no, the easier it got.
Last summer, I became overwhelmed because I piled tasks on my plate to the max. I learned that feeling overwhelmed constantly was extremely draining. After I had implemented these three strategies, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I felt like I could breathe again. I finally had time to relax and do things at my own pace. Managing my time more efficiently, communicating, and saying no are things I have been doing ever since. I can do things that will help me academically and benefit my future career, but also take time for myself to do things I enjoy. These strategies have helped me greatly in the past few months, and I hope they can help you as well.
Jae Billerbeck became a member of the Interactive Measurement Group in the Spring of 2022. She is majoring in psychology and will be graduating in the Spring of 2023. After graduation, she hopes to obtain her master’s degree in either school psychology or clinical mental health counseling.