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I’m a tad bit overwhelmed these days (okay, a LOT overwhelmed!). I feel behind the curve, behind the eight ball, just BEHIND in general. Too much to do, too many disparate projects, and a little bit of an energy lag (NOT like me — I’m a human dynamo!).
So instead of just suffering, here’s my plan of attack:
1. Remind myself that I feel overwhelmed with a lot of goodness. I have presents to buy for a baby, layouts to make with a fun new kit, blog posts to write on topics I love, meals to cook for people I adore, etc.). I’m not overwhelmed with gunshot wounds and head traumas, like an ER doctor, so what do I have to complain about?
2. Make a list of all my outstanding tasks and projects. This simple task helps me see that there is, indeed, an end to my seemingly never-ending list of things to do. Then when I cross off items, I get a great rush of satisfaction. Crazy how much joy I can get from making and crossing things off a list, isn’t it?
3. Take a break. I told my kids today that I’d like nothing better than to take to my bed for the weekend, reading books and having someone bring me soup and cinnamon toast (not together, duh!). While I can’t do it for the whole weekend, I might just have a lay-about tomorrow. 
4. Start small. Once I have The Big List, I take half an hour and get rid of as many small annoying tasks as possible. Like I need to wrap presents so I can take them to the post office. I need to make a couple phone calls to make appointments so I can get other things done. These types of things mount up, but don’t take too long to complete — and they’re usually standing in the way of getting a larger task completed. Crossing them off lets me move on, AND it gives me a bunch of crossed-off items on my list — yahoo!
5. Get rid of the non-essentials. When I see everything on The Big List, it’s easy to remove items. For instance, with Layout a Day, my month-long scrapbooking challenge, taking place next month (AND a half-marathon I’m doing mid-month, AND a trip to Texas), I’ve got a lot on my plate. I feel completely justified in removing some less-important tasks, like buying new place mats.
Once I work through these five items, I usually have a much better mindset about my list, and some successes under my belt to fuel me.
P.S. I talk a lot about overwhelm and managing time better in my audio course, “Time Suck: How to Stop Wasting Time, Start Saving Hours, and Finally Enjoy Your Life.” Check it out!
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