How to beat being overwhelmed: 5 steps to slowing down and achieving high-performance under pressure

By: Dana Poul-Graf, Founder & Strategic Thought Partner, Key&Spark

The last quarter is in full swing, and it's as fast as ever.

Do you feel the need to speed up and match the increased demands?  Do you hope to cross all your to-dos and close off projects before the holiday break comes to your rescue? Do you frequently check in on your team members' progress and speak mainly about operations to stay on top of everything that's going on?

If so, don't. It's a trap!

Increased speed does not equal high performance. Higher stress levels and lack of recovery time weaken your immune system, not to speak about your cognitive abilities.

Instead, go for the counterintuitive move - slow down when things get overwhelming. 🐌

Here is a process I've adopted and work with when overwhelmed:

1. Get perspective
Remove yourself from the situation. Drop everything and create a space outside the context of what's overwhelming you. Go for a walk with your dog, take your child to a playground or do yoga in your backyard. Your mind will attempt to trick you into thinking this is a waste of time. Expect it and focus on what you are doing entirely.

2. Dial Up on Structure
Structure beats chaos. Introducing a higher level of structure into what's on your plate and into your day will free up critical brain capacity and help you stay focused when you structure what's happening. So grab a flipchart or a mindmap app and put it all down in a structured way.

3. Prioritize ruthlessly
After structuring all, prioritize. My clients love the simplicity of Eisenhower's grid. You'll get the best benefits by applying it daily - experiment including all your to-do's into the grid of urgency and importance instead of creating long lists. When done, create blocks of time for those items that are urgent and important.

4. Reconnect with what's important
Revisit your intentions and values. Think of why you are doing all you are doing. Especially in high-pressure times, make it an intentional point to connect with those you love and enjoy sharing a moment. By research, this is the most effective way of keeping your emotional capacity in check, enabling you to perform on higher levels again.

5. Purposefully slow down your thinking.
Some of the most significant insights and breakthroughs with my clients take place by exactly creating the space to take a pause and slowing down their thinking in our conversations. Allow for the same with your team members.

So let's be practical - let's pause and slow down.

Does this process make you fear the outcome?

If yes, you are the perfect candidate to experiment with this approach TODAY! 

 Book a free intro call with us. 

If not, let me know: What works for you?

Sources: hrg.org, Co-Active coaching, positiveintelligence.com, eisenhower.me, & life