026 - Overwhelm Uncovered: The Hidden Side of Entrepreneurship

Welcome to another episode of Women Powering eCommerce! Join us every Tuesday and Thursday as we delve into the journey of a female eCommerce entrepreneur. Together, we'll explore the highs, and the lows, and find inspiration to conquer challenges and achieve our business goals.

Dealing with Overwhelm

Have you ever felt overwhelmed? It's a feeling that we all know too well, especially as entrepreneurs. But it's important to remember that it's a normal part of life. Today, let's talk about how to manage that overwhelming sensation and regain control.

Recognizing the Signs

A few weeks ago, on a Monday morning, I woke up with a lack of motivation and a heavy sense of overwhelm. This is a feeling that everyone experiences, but the key is knowing how to handle it. Over time, I've developed strategies that help me bounce back quickly, and I'm excited to share them with you.

Putting It on Paper

When overwhelmed hits, the first thing I do is put everything down on paper. Sometimes, just seeing your tasks written out can provide clarity and perspective. It's like decluttering your mind and making room for productive thoughts.

But there are times when I realize I've packed too much into my schedule. To address this, I list all the essential tasks, from most important to least. By rearranging my schedule, I create space to breathe and relax. This simple adjustment can make a world of difference.

Shifting Your Perspective

Switching from "I have to" to "I want to" can transform your outlook. As entrepreneurs, we have the luxury of designing our schedules. So, I remind myself why each task is important and how it contributes to my goals. This shift in mindset reignites my enthusiasm and motivation.

The Power of Less

If overwhelm persists, I employ a powerful exercise. I list every task I do throughout the day and ask, "Can I delegate this?" Often, I discover that I'm trying to do everything myself. Realizing this, I prioritize tasks that truly require my attention and delegate the rest. This exercise is a game-changer, helping me focus on what truly matters.

Acceptance and Breaks

Remember, it's okay not to be at your best every single day. There's no shame in taking time off when needed. Whether it's a morning or even just a few hours, these breaks can recharge your mind and help you regain focus.

Conclusion

In the world of eCommerce, overwhelm is a familiar companion. However, with the right strategies, you can conquer it and continue on your entrepreneurial journey. Remember to put your tasks on paper, shift your perspective from obligation to desire, and embrace the power of delegation. And most importantly, be kind to yourself and take breaks when necessary.

Thank you for joining us on this episode of Women Powering eCommerce. If you found this content valuable, please rate and share the podcast to support more women entrepreneurs. Follow us on social media and your favorite podcast platform for more insightful episodes. Together, we can overcome overwhelm and achieve our business dreams. See you next time!

Episode Transcription

026 - Overwhelm Uncovered: The Hidden Side of Entrepreneurship

(00:00):

Welcome, eCommerce empresses to this episode of Women Powering Ecommerce. Join me every Tuesday and Thursday as I take you behind the scenes of my journey as a female eCommerce entrepreneur. Together, we'll explore the highs, the lows, inspiring you to take action and achieve your own business goals. So, let's get started.

(00:33):

Today, I want to talk about something I think everyone can relate to, and it's about feeling overwhelmed. I'm sure you've felt overwhelmed several times, especially as an entrepreneur, or I think anyone in general in their job. It's a normal feeling as a human being, and I think that you just need to learn how to manage it with time and see the signs and know what to do with it.

(01:01):

A few weeks ago on a Monday morning, my motivation was just not there and I was feeling exactly that, overwhelmed. I just felt overwhelmed with everything, literally, I had to do. It's definitely something I'll feel once in a while, which is now for me just a cue to sit back, relax, and do a little reset. It is not a time to panic or to overdramatize and rethink your life decisions, which honestly I used to do when I felt like that.

(01:39):

But now, I feel like I know how to address those feelings pretty quickly when they do happen and get back on track. I felt these emotions often. So, I feel I've gained some good tricks, or at least a recipe that works for me when this happens and what used to take me days and maybe weeks to recover now only takes me maybe half a day at the most. So, let me share my tricks with you, and if it can help, then great.

(02:05):

This is what I do. First of all, if I can't even think clearly, and it happens rarely but I keep this card in my back pocket if possible, I will just take my morning off. Sometimes, you just feel so overwhelmed that whatever work you do is just too much. It's something that we have usually the luxury of doing as an entrepreneur, manage your schedule. So, if I can take my morning off, I'll do it.

(02:36):

If I can't, then I have other ways of coping, but that's one thing I love to do. It just helps me recover quickly and get back on track. But first thing I do, if that's not possible or if it is possible no matter what, I just start writing. Whenever I start feeling overwhelmed, I found that it's often because I've crammed too much into my schedule. Yes, sometimes it feels good to put it on paper and sometimes that's enough.

(03:04):

Okay, it's not that bad. Look, here's what it is, work with that. But sometimes, I've honestly put too much in my schedule. How do I make adjustments is I'll list all the important tasks I need to do and that's it. Then I'll just add those back into my schedule. I'll just take an empty schedule, take all the important things I want to do, and I start with the most important.

(03:30):

I'll just put the important stuff in my schedule, then I'll take the least important, less important, and I go down the list like that. So, just doing that helps me regain control. Honestly, sometimes, just a few tweaks like that, just taking your schedule apart, putting it back in will do the trick. Rearrange a few time blocks, and suddenly you feel like everything fits in. Sometimes, you just moved a few things and it gives you more room to relax.

(04:01):

At least, that helps me a lot, doing that. Other times, I realize that I don't need to change my schedule. Everything is in place, everything is optimal, and sometimes you just need to take some time off. That's it. We're human beings. We need to do it once in a while. We need a break. I've also accepted that it's okay not to feel my best every day.

(04:25):

If it happens on those occasions, like I said in the beginning, I might just take a day off or a half a day, usually my morning. Sometimes, that's all I'll do. If I really can't concentrate, I'll just take my morning off. If I have meetings sometimes, if they can be rescheduled, they're not urgent important, I'll just reschedule a few things and that's it.

(04:49):

Only doing that just helps me breathe in, breathe out, reset myself. Usually after that, I'm feeling much better and after lunch, I'm back on track. So, that was about putting everything in writing, checking your schedule and seeing if you need to make adjustments. If not, then just take a deep breath, take a few hours off, and that's it.

(05:14):

Next point, shift perspective. I switch my mindset in those times from, "I have to," to, "I want to." Makes a big difference. As an entrepreneur, we have the luxury, like I said, to design our schedule. Why not use that? I use that at my advantage and I remind myself why I added each task to my schedule in the first place.

(05:42):

This realigns my motivation and my enthusiasm and it's just a reminder that I didn't put a bunch of stuff, piled tasks in my calendar for the sake of it. No, each task has a purpose and everything should lead to a specific goal and destination. When I remind myself that, it just rekindles my passion and I realize that, "I'm not doing a bunch of stuff for nothing. Everything has a purpose and I created that. So, I should usually be wanting to do those things."

(06:20):

One last thing, less is more. When the above did not do the trick, I checked my schedule, everything works, it's optimal, I took some time off and I'm still feeling off track. Then I'll do this exercise for a week or two, and let me share that with you. It works wonderfully. What you do is just you list everything you do in a day.

(06:43):

Every time I do a new task, I write it down on a piece of paper. I'll write the time I did it approximately, or how long it took me, and next to each task I ask myself, "Am I the only person who can handle this, or is it something I can delegate?" If it's something only I can do, well, great, then that's perfect. I'm supposed to do it. I'll consider it a priority and I'll make sure that I do it.

(07:11):

However, if it's something that others can take care of, then I'll find a solution and see how I can delegate it. It works. When I started doing this exercise, I realized I was the main character in my own movie. I was almost necessary and important. I felt important and I needed to be everywhere. But eventually, I realized no, a lot of it I can delegate. A lot of it, I don't need to be there. I don't need to micromanage everything.

(07:42):

Actually, you don't have to micromanage anything usually and makes a big difference. With time, the ratio between things I can delegate and things I am the only one who can take care of really changes. Right now, when this happens, I realize a lot of the things I do, actually, I'm the only one who can do. But I think this is an exercise that is important to do on a regular basis because I feel, at least for my part or is in my human nature, I'll easily pile stuff on without thinking about it, and it's things I could easily delegate.

(08:21):

I think it's something that's definitely important to do on a regular basis, and it's something I now adopted and try to do, at least every time I feel like it's not working anymore, I have too much on my plate. Once you did that, and I feel like most of the tasks I'm doing are things I'm the one that can do, well, if it's not important task and I'm feeling overwhelmed, why not just remove a few non-urgent ones and just delay them for a little bit?

(08:50):

There you go, less is more. Less can often be more when it comes to managing overwhelm. That's what works for me at least. So, wrapping up, feeling overwhelmed is something that I've learned to deal with in the last years and because I now accept this feeling as being normal at times and just to signal to sit back a little, rewind, reset, I've created my own recipe to deal with that.

(09:18):

It's something that happens less and less with time, but when it does happen, I know how to address it quickly, which I really appreciate. I'd really love to hear your tricks. If you have any tricks on how you deal with such feelings, please let me know. I'd be really interested in them and sharing them as well, because it's something we can't get too much advice on this topic. I think we can always be better at it. So, please feel free to send that my way.

(09:50):

Take a moment to rate and share this podcast or episode if you found it helpful. It allows us to support more women entrepreneurs in the eCommerce business. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. I hope you gained valuable insights and inspiration today to keep growing and taking action towards your goals. Please follow me on social media. Also, follow us on your favorite podcast platform to get notifications every time a new episode is uploaded. See you next time.