How to Overcome Being Overwhelmed

People are not computers.

You can't just install an upgrade or a new app to scale up problem solving capabilities. People have emotions that surround life and work challenges.

When challenges exceed your capacity to manage the stress, feelings of "overwhelmed" take over. And when you're overwhelmed ... your ability to lead and make the best decisions is severely compromised.

As a salon/spa owner, you are especially prone to high levels of stress simply because you are the...

Leader

Coach/motivator

Decision maker

Marketer

Financial controller

Purchaser

Disciplinarian

... and the one with everything on the line.

As a business owner and leader, that's the job you signed up for.

Being overwhelmed can feel like being trapped in quicksand. You feel like you can't move, that you're sinking deeper ... and can't get out.

But you can overcome being overwhelmed if you follow these No-Compromise Leadership strategies:

Reset your perspective: The challenge that is feeding your overwhelmed state does have a solution. It’s also likely that your situation is not as dire as you may think. Things simply got away from you. Maybe you made some bad decisions or delayed too long on a tough decision. Maybe you were just not paying attention or understanding the warning signs. And maybe you just dove too deep into something you were not prepared for.
MUST DO: Reset your perspective that your situation is solvable. It may not be an easy solution, but your current situation is fixable. Once you shift your thinking from “sinking” to “solving” ... you will regain a sense of control and the overwhelmed feeling will begin to subside. Believe in yourself. That’s the critical first step.

Confront the cause: So you lacked some essential skills, avoided the problem that you knew was brewing ... or simply screwed up.
MUST DO: Look in the mirror because that person looking back played a role in whatever is causing the feelings of being overwhelmed. If some key staff quit, or trust was broken, or spending got out of control ... it happened on your watch. Confront the cause. Accept responsibility ... own it. Blaming and excuses are not fixes ... they’re just delay tactics.

Clarify what needs to change: Okay, you reset your perspective and understand that you certainly can overcome the challenges that overwhelm you. You confronted the causes and took ownership of the situation. Now, clarify exactly what needs to change in your current reality to get you and your business on the right course ... and purge the overwhelmed feelings that are keeping you stuck.
MUST DO: Identify the top three things that need to change. Be brutally honest. Look behind that curtain at the funky stuff you keep hidden and got pretty good at avoiding. If your spending is out of control and you hate to budget and pay attention to your financial reports ... that’s number one. If your culture is funky and toxic ... that’s number two. If you have a toxic employee that does more damage than the revenue they bring in ... that’s number three.

The solution you fear most: I always coach owners and leaders that the solution they fear most is usually the solution they need to implement. Too many overwhelmed owners and leaders are overwhelmed because they’re afraid to rock the boat. FACT: Change rocks the boat. It’s supposed to rock the boat. Change is uncomfortable because it’s new and different and requires new skills, understanding and expertise.
MUST DO: The solution you seek is the one that goes to the root cause of the problem, situation or challenge. Avoid any quick fixes as they simply mask the problem temporarily and it eventually resurfaces in worse form. Don’t fear the solution. Lead through it. Coach through it. Master the skills to manage and control it.

Simplify your plate: An overflowing plate of tasks and responsibilities is the most common source of becoming overwhelmed. If you're a micro-managing control freak and can’t let go of even the smallest tasks and responsibilities ... then enjoy existing in your perpetual state of overwhelmed. Overcoming overwhelmed is about driving initiatives across the finish line. Gaining growth, racking up wins, making progress ... that’s the stuff that banishes feelings of being overwhelmed.
MUST DO: Take a no-compromise look at your plate and isolate the top three tasks and/or responsibilities that must be accomplished to create the progress and wins you seek. Delegate the small stuff. Commit yourself 100% to getting the work done. If you commit 99% ... you’re allowing the excuse and procrastination factor in.

Deadlines and measurements: A task or change initiative without a deadline is an accident waiting to happen. A goal without the means to measure progress lacks clarity and sense of urgency.
MUST DO: Put timelines to every element of your solution. Use a project planning tool like teamwork.com or Omnifocus to keep you organized, on task and on time. Clarify expectations to your team. Communicate change with extreme clarity. Keep the drumbeat steady. Celebrate wins

Here’s my challenge to you: If you are feeling overwhelmed, follow the game plan above...

Do not delay.

Do not procrastinate.

Do not give excuses.

Engage.

Get focused.

Stand tall.

Hold yourself 100% accountable.

Lead your team to that better place.

Being overwhelmed is a choice. Make a decisive choice to permanently banish feelings of being overwhelmed.

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