Tips on managing overwhelm

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#CuriousMoments with Advita

Trudy Lewis, Jenni Field, and I hosted a session for the Inspiring Workplaces summer series about managing overwhelm.

We shared various tips and advice, but to summarise, here are our essential tips:

1) You have to know your values to understand what should be in your circle of concern. A lot of information surrounds us, and sometimes we feel like we must know everything about everything but it’s impossible. Be intentional in your choices and decide why it’s important to you.

2) A system that works for you is important but make sure you have appropriate boundaries in place. Exceptions start being the norm if you allow people to keep crossing your boundaries. Only you can control your boundary. If you don’t respect it, don’t expect anyone else to.

3) If you’ve got many things going on, write everything down. I wasn’t always a huge list fan, as it felt overwhelming. If this is you, then turn it around into a list of things you’ve done and use a framework like the Eisenhower matrix to understand what’s urgent and what’s not (you can download this from my free CommsRebel platform – available from wherever you download your apps)

4) You can’t possibly deliver everything on your list in one day. So as Jenni Field often says, “eat the frog” first (the significant icky action you’ve been putting off) and then do three-five small actions throughout the day.

5) You must get to the root cause of your overwhelm. If you don’t, everything else will be a veneer. You might find it’s a specific time of the year or a day. It could be an individual, or it could be a certain task that brings you dread. Whatever it is, find and address it at the root; otherwise, it’ll never change.

The three of us run a retreat twice yearly, addressing issues like overwhelm, procrastination, confidence and purpose, so you can live life on your terms. The last one for 2023 is on 8 November, and we have some limited spots left. Find out more.

If you’re looking for testimonials Joanna Parsons FIIC, John Wilkinson, Rebecca Williams Chart.PR (MCIPR), Jennifer Robson Amber Brittain Shan Chatoo are a handful of folks who have shared the impact the day had on them – I’m sure they won’t mind if you wanted to ask them to give you the honest truth (promise we haven’t paid them a cent ????).

 

Originally posted on LinkedIn, Follow me for more curious moments.

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Advita Patel

Advita Patel is the founder of CommsRebel, an award-winning internal communications consultancy. She helps organisations globally navigate change, strengthen workplace culture and create better
employee experiences through effective internal communications.

With more than two decades of experience in internal communications, Advita is a Chartered PR Practitioner, CIPR Fellow, qualified coach and Cultural Intelligence (CQ) certified facilitator. She works with leaders and internal communication teams to build confidence, strengthen their influence and communicate through change with greater clarity.

In 2025, Advita served as President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), becoming the first person of colour to hold the position in its 75-year history. She is also the award-winning, best-selling co-author of Building a Culture of Inclusivity and the author of Decoding Confidence: The Seven Habits of Confident Leaders.

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