Happy May Day! I'm a stress monkey.

[aisa0]

A couple of years ago CrimeThInc publish a May Day poster that I still love reading today.

I suppose after two years it actually being May Day is a good reason to share the poster! I'm certainly happy to share Beltane with the International Worker's Day. But, well, some people aren't welcomeI've recognized in myself, but forgotten from time to

Comments

[siria13]

When I'm merely overwhelmed I re-prioritize my list by order of importance, then again by the things that can be done immediately, easily and quickly and dig in. When I'm overwhelmed and panicked I do the same thing only I remember to give myself a break for being only one person, and remind myself to focus on today, one day at a time and it will eventually (usually rather quickly) get under control again.

The big thing for me is to keep myself from wasting time and energy being scattered and panicked. If I can do that then I can usually put together a game plan and work it.

If I don't have a steady stream of things to keep me busy I tend to procrastinate, get bored and screw around on line. A good daily routine helps.

[_wirehead_]

A good daily routine helps.

can you elaborate on this a little bit? this is a major problem for me... even when i have stuff to do, if none of it is urgent i have a hard time really getting into it. the problem is that if i could just work steadily, i wouldn't have to stress out when the deadlines actually do start getting closer. :/

[siria13]

Sure, there are somethings in my job that have to be done on a daily basis. I'm a bookkeeper, and one of the things that I do everyday is to check the bank and make a report on sales, cash flow, etc. I get this out of the way first thing so that I don't have to ever be asked for it and because it gives me a starting place and gets me going. I can spend the whole day trying to figure out where to start if I don't have a set starting place everyday. :) Then I enter all Accts. Rec. and then all Accts. payable setting aside anything that is a problem then I make time to deal with phone messages, email or anything else that's come up in the morning that needs to be dealt with and either prioritize it for another time hopefully the same day or just go ahead and knock it out before lunch. After lunch I come back and deal with all the problems that I set aside in the morning and go through anything else in my basket and again prioritize or complete. That usually leaves me with time at the end of the day to wrap up loose ends, complete

[anda]

While the overall topic isn't quite related, the section on "Break 'er down" seems like the idea might be applicable? http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/10/26.html

Break down tasks into things small enough to do in a couple days, and set deadlines for them. Might give you that little "oh! due soon!" nudge.

[_wirehead_]

i have this same problem. either i'm not being very productive because i lack urgent deadlines, or i'm stressed out because i'm behind and i have deadlines.

i am a serious list-maker, especially to do lists. i tend to make them (on paper, on my wrist, in my notes, on my wiki) and then, often, lose them half-done, but somehow, it is okay. i think the process of making a list clears my head and lets me stop worrying about everything long enough to make some progress on one thing.

also, i am beginning to get the impression that the last n items on any to do list (sorted by priority) may actually not be worth doing. i certainly have a lot of projects at work where we have a list of things, and a deadline, and the lowest-priority stuff that doesn't make it in by the deadline just gets dropped, and it turns out to be fine. i have been pondering whether that principle might also apply to my personal lists