Help, I Am Paralyzed with What to Do Next

Have you ever been at your desk, surrounded by papers and todo’s completely paralyzed by what to do next? Or in the living room with kids running around and the house in disarray without the energy to do anything?

When this type of overwhelm happens to me, I do four things:

1. Take 5-10 deep breaths. This calms and lessens the anxiety.

2. Straighten up a bit wherever I am. If I’m at my desk, I clean up the area in front of me. Or if it’s not work time, I tackle a part of the house I am in. The clearer space creates clearer thinking.

3. Then I write out whatever is in my head – to dos, things I’m worried about, or whatever else is using up space in my head.

4. Next I pick 5 things I need to do, usually the most important 5 if priority is clear. I write them on slips of paper. Then I choose one to do. If I get a good, "Ok this is what is next" feeling I proceed. If I get the feeling I need to be doing something else instead, I will do what intuition says. But, once the task is chosen I don’t allow myself to waffle or I won’t get anything done.

Some days I need to keep picking slips of what to do next. But usually once I get the positive flow going I get momentum to continue on my day.

Photo by Jeff Gunn