The first thing I recommend doing when you fall behind is to just take a deep breath and realize that you're going to have a rough week (month, year) until you can get caught up. It's not going to be easy, and it's going to test your patience. Just realize that whatever the reason was, you fell behind and now you have to deal with it. Then, grab your handy dandy planner or favorite to-do list pad, and start listing everything that needs to get done and the due date. This will help you organize your craziness and figure out what to focus on.
Something to remember when you fall behind is that you're not alone. There are so many people who fall behind on what they have to do, in fact, most likely your boss or professor has to do the same catching up that you do. However, this doesn't mean run to whoever is in charge and complain about your life to get an extension. In my opinion, extensions are rarely ever given - and if you ask for one, that person's perception of you will change drastically. Don't put yourself in that situation. Instead, take control and take responsibility for what's going on. It's time to get things done, not try to make them go away.
Remember to prioritize. If you have something due tomorrow, obviously that has to take precedence, even if the item that's due next week is a larger project that requires a lot of time. Prioritizing also goes for what you do with your day. Maybe you do yoga with the girls every Monday or you have an event for a social organization on Thursday. As hard as it is, you have to choose what is more important - going to that party, or getting that report on your boss's desk. I've seen it so many times in college where my close friends have denied their responsibilities because they would rather go out and have fun. The unfortunate truth is that with academics this can often lead to academic probation or disqualification, and with work, this often leads to disciplinary action, less hours, or worse: termination.
It's just like handling stress, in a way. Put one foot in front of the other and take one step at a time. Crossing things off your list should help you feel a little better, but catching up is a little different than having a regular busy week. If you fell behind, that could mean that you're trying to do three weeks' work in one. The key is to realize that you should focus on what's attainable and what isn't. Spread your time out wisely and don't freak out over what you can't control. If you spend your energy worrying about that assignment that was due last night that you completely forgot about, that's less energy you'll have to focus on that report due on Friday that you can actually do. Sometimes, things happen - focus on what can be changed, not on the past.
Even though you've fallen behind, it's important to focus on what you need to do in the next couple of weeks, too, so that you don't fall even farther behind. I've had it happen to me so many times - I get to the end of "hell week" and get caught up, or so I think, only to look at my planner for the next week and realize I'm now behind on those tasks. So, even if you only do a little work on things for the upcoming weeks, make sure you don't ignore them completely.
Remember to take time for yourself. It's hard to schedule it in, especially if you're catching up on multiple things, but it's important to not add excessive stress to your already overloaded schedule. Take a few minutes to do something you enjoy, even if it's not to the fullest extent. For instance, if you're missing your daily workouts but don't have time to hit the gym, take 10-15 minutes to stretch. Doing this will release those endorphins you're craving but won't make you sweaty enough to need to take a shower. Stretching also clears your head for a while because you have to focus on your breathing and your reach.
Overall, falling behind can be a disaster. Most of us stress out until we're caught back up, but just remember to take it one step at a time and realize that complaining about it won't make it go away. Find your inner strength and power through your to-do list and before you know it, Saturday will be here greeting you with open arms.
I relate to this post so much! I am always making different lists: on my computer, in my agenda, in my notebook, on my phone. I often get overwhelmed just by looking at all that I have to do! I like how you say to prioritize by when something is due, even if something due a few days later will require a lot of time. I always have debated between the two and had that "freak out" of stress that you mentioned. Great post!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yeah, it's so easy to fall even farther behind when you're trying to get caught up because you're so focused on what needs to be finished now that you forget that you have things to do next week, too. It's a difficult balance to attain, but it can be done! Thanks for the comment! :)
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