Coping strategies when I'm overloaded

A warm welcome to everyone who's visiting this blog by way of Biz-Community, SN-Announce or http://allafrica.com/. Thank you for your interest in my ebook, How to get quoted in the media. I hope that some of the tips in there help you generate a lot of publicity for your organisation or company.

Meanwhile, today I'm sharing my coping strategies when I'm overloaded with work. And yes, as I run a small company pushing very hard to generate business and grow, I've had to apply some of these tips very recently.

1. Take a breather - Ja, I know it sounds counter-productive to take time out when your time is already limited, but I've found that it out helps me to gather my thoughts to get ready for battle.

2. Prioritise your assignments - Usually, by this stage it seems that everything is urgent and it's hard to decide where to start, which can be debilitating. However, there are probably things that can be pushed back by a couple of hours or days or however long you need, if done properly.

3. Ask for help - Is there someone who can handle some of the work you need to do? Can they help without jeopardising the quality of your work?

4. Speak to your client/supervisor/the person who'll strangle you if you don't deliver - From my personal experience, my instinct is to "manage the situation" because
a) It's my job to do the assignment
b) I rationalise that I don't want to bother the client
c) Pride - if you admit there is a problem, then client will wonder about you
But honestly, most clients would rather know that the delivery of their assignment is going to be impacted in some way so they can kick an alternative plan in if they can, instead of blissfully thinking everything is fine when it isn't.

5. Make like Nike - Just do it. Once you calm down, have a plan in place, have other people assisting you and your client knows that you are managing the situation, then keep your head down and work your way down your list of priorities. Stop obssessing about tasks that are way down the line and focus on what needs to get done.