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7 Best Focus Tips when you are Overwhelmed – Why cant I concentrate & my brain feels fuzzy ?

Do you space out when you are overwhelmed? (I tell you a little secret, so do I 😉 ) When we are overwhelmed by our workload  we struggle with questions like: 

  • Why cant I concentrate 
  • How can I focus and be productive? I just can’t seem to at all. 
  • How do I stop my mind from wandering ?
  • I can’t function, what now?

At least that’s what I struggle with when I am overwhelmed. 

I either overthink or my mind is always somewhere else and I can’t focus.

Like at all…

Raise your hand if you’re feeling this! 🙋

Let’s take a look at: How to focus when you feel overwhelmed. In this post we’ll cover: 

  1. How to focus when you are overwhelmed and stressed
  2. Why does my brain feel fuzzy when I am overwhelmed & Why do I feel like I cant think clearly
  3. How to keep my mind from wandering
  4. Time management when you are overwhelmed
  5. Why do I freeze when feeling overwhelmed
  6. What to do when you are so overwhelmed you cannot function?

Since you probably struggle with concentration let’s jump right into the best tips to focus when you are overwhelmed 😉 

7 Best “ Why cant i concentrate“ Focus Tips for when you are Overwhelmed

1. Quick Tip: Shorten your To-Do List - To feel less overwhelmed

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Do you feel so overwhelmed with your daily to-do lists that you don’t accomplish anything at all? And you just can’t focus? 

  • Shorten your to-do list to the 3 most important tasks per day
  • Re-organize your tasks. How are they connected? Which tasks aren’t that important? 
  • Prioritize, and throw out stuff you don’t necessarily need to do. 
    • Dare to do the tasks poorly (better bad than not at all) 
    • Set time boundaries (Got a mountain of dishes, just clean them 10 minutes, leave the rest) 
  • Focus on one step at a time (E.g. Write 1 sentence; put on shoes; put on pants; go to the corner store) 
  • Can’t finish your to-do list? Don’t beat yourself up over it. 
  • Learn how to not overcommit yourself. Are you overwhelmed by your responsibilities? Maybe you took on too much. We have a full post on how to stop overcommitting. 

2. Get some fresh air and a little distance.

Before you come back to the list get some distance. Sometimes we need a time out. 

  • Take a walk through the forest. 
  • Drink some water. 
  • Sing a motivational song. (Which one is your favorite motivational song?) 
  • Work out (Burn all your frustrations and anxiety with a workout.) 
  • Sleep. (Sometimes a nap does wonders)

3. Improve your Focus

 

“Focus means eliminating distractions, not just from other people, but the things we do to distract ourselves.”

– Catherine Pulsifer

Can’t focus when you are overwhelmed? Here are some tips to improve your focus and attention span: (Spacing out allowed!) 

 

  • Find a quiet room (a library, study room, a coffee shop) 
  • Remove all distractions (Phone, Tablet, TV etc.) 
    • Switch between tasks if you can’t stay on one topic ( 5 Minute reading, 5 Minute writing, 5 Minute Stretching) 
    • Extend those periods, when your focus improves. 
  • Organize the order of your tasks in advance. 
  • Don’t stop when you are in “the flow”. (Don’t let anyone disturb you either) 
  • Try Grounding Techniques

Here is a post on how to force yourself to do stuff you don’t want to do and how to improve your self discipline 🙂 It might help as well. 

4. Celebrate what you’ve achieved

At the end of the day write down what you’ve accomplished in a “done-list” & celebrate your tiny achievements?

celebrate small wins

5. For the long-term start a healthy lifestyle.

6. Practice focus

Yeah, focusing can be learned. You can train it like self-discipline: 

  • Practice active listening. (You can listen to audiobooks)
  • Read long books (Each day a few minutes) 
  • Meditate

7. Find out what works for you

 

PS.: We love to hear and see from you: Leave us a comment ⬇️ & describe your day in 3 emojis

Why does my brain feel fuzzy when I am overwhelmed ? & Why do I feel like I cant think clearly?

What happens if you get too overwhelmed? When our responsibilities are stacking, and our to-do lists explode we often feel like we are“in over our heads”. I lose motivation and focus when overwhelmed. We get that fuzzy brain feeling. Overworking and being overwhelmed can cause: 

  • Mental slowness
  • Forgetfulness
  • Confusion, 
  • Difficulty concentrating 
  • Difficulties in thinking logically
  • A racing mind or an impaired ability to solve problems. 

 

It’s normal. If you have a fuzzy brain, but you aren’t overwhelmed there might be other causes! Like a lack of sleep, too much sugar, mental problems. Check out other fuzzy brain causes here.

How to keep my mind from wandering ?

Do you have a wandering mind? Here are some step you can take when your mind is always somewhere else: 

    1. Observe your distractions (Is it your phone, the mail pop up, certain thoughts? Find out what distracts you.) 
    2. Solve the problem (When I struggle with a problem, e.g. should I go to Korea or not,  I start overthinking, my mind keeps wandering to the same problem over and over like a fly goes towards dung.) Solve the problem even if it’s tiny like a broken light bulb. 
    3. Avoid your triggers. You always lose focus after watching the news? Or after talking to a certain mind boggling person. Avoid the trigger before you work. 
    4. Take your time. At least for me impatience can cause a loss of focus. 
    5. Focus music. I know I recommend it a lot, but it does work for me. 😉
    6. Accept the thought like in meditation. Recognize it. Write it down, when necessary and let it float away.
    7. Avoid coffee. When I drink coffee my thoughts jump, jump, jump from one topic to another. Great when you need many ideas. Not so great when I need to focus.

Time management when you are overwhelmed

Now, this step is crucial, there are a few time management techniques you can use when you are overwhelmed. Sometimes I m so stressed I cant focus. These Methods might be able to help: 

  1. Make an overview of all your projects. 
  2. Create a Master To-Do List. (Get the tasks out of your head)
  3. Prioritize. You can use the 80/20 rule or the Eisenhower Matrix
  4. Use the Pomodoro Technique
  5. Use Time Blocking and Task Batching
  6. Use the One-Day Rule
  7. Learn to Say No
  8. Fulfill your Needs First

Why do I freeze when feeling overwhelmed ?

Ellen Hendriksen, PhD explained, why we freeze when feeling overwhelmed as follows: “Your brain doesn’t just see a to-do list; it sees a threat. It sees the threat of scarcity: not enough time, not enough energy, not enough magical ability to fit everything into twenty-four hours. Or it sees the threat of failing, the threat of disappointing others, the threat of feeling incapable.” 

What to do when you are so overwhelmed you cannot function?

What to do when you cannot function because you are overwhelmed? When you are at a point at which you can’t focus. You are anxious, close to crying, and freaking out, because you’ve got so many responsibilities. Time to take a step back: 

  • Disconnect, leave the scene take a deep breath.
  • Hike, take a walk do some sunbathing, get out. 
  • Take care of yourself, plug out. 
  • Ask for help.
  • Go out with a friend.
  • See what someone else can do for you. 
  • Write it in your journal. 
  • Clean and tidy your home. 

Here are our best Brain Fog Remedies when your Brain Feels fried. 

Wrapping it up …

I hope you were able to get some valuable tips for when you are overwhelmed with too many things to do. And I hope we were able to answer your question: Why cant I concentrate and how to focus when you are overwhelmed. Here are our 7 best tips at one glance: 

  1. Shorten your To-Do List
  2. Get some fresh air and a little distance.
  3. Improve your Focus & Remove Distractions
  4. Celebrate what you’ve achieved with a “Done-List”
  5. Implement Long-Term Habits
  6. Practice your Focus Skills
  7. Find what works for you

 

 7  SimpleWays to IncreaseProductivity: 

  • Sometimes you need to take a step back to move two forwards (Look at the big picture if you feel lost) 
  •  Turn off any shows, movies, or podcasts that are more distracting the helpful
  • Switch places if you #cantFocus at your current location
  • Start with a quick 5-minute task if you don’t feel like working or alternatively a hard task if you are super #motivated first in the morning
  • Take care of your body, soul, and also your surroundings – A #CleanWorkspace makes everything better
  • Check your #habits – (especially the bad ones!)

Want to learn more on how to increase #productivity? Then read this article on how to build your own productivity system!

 

Tag someone you know who NEEDS to see this! And let us know your favorite Focus Tip below. Feel free to save this post for the next time when you feel overwhelmed by your workload.

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How To Boost Your Motivation With Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs (+ free Worksheet)

maslow's Pyramid of needs examples in real life

Have you ever sat in front of your desk, the work or school folders piling up left and right and you just cannot find the motivation to start? Yes, that is exactly where I am right now. 

 

Frustrated. Bored. Maybe even overwhelmed. But how come on some days we just seem so overexcited and put our whole heart into whatever our current project is, and the next day we are struggling so much to push forward? 

 

So, to learn how we stay motivated I must explain why we sometimes are not motivated. Abraham Maslow explained the connection of a human motivation with the hierarchy of needs – so let’s take a look at this stunning pyramid:

The explanation behind Maslow’s pyramid is simple: Starting from the lowest row, the physiological level, human beings first look out to find all needed elements to survive. This is our survival instinct. If we are thirsty, we first will look for liquids or if we are moving to another place, we will first set up an accommodation to sleep in.

 

That is why most cities are located close to rivers or oceans as it was easier for people to gather water quickly and to even hunt down their food at the river. As most of the world is already set up with a stable food production this mostly is relevant for people in poor or war inflicted countries or in general homeless people. One factor that on the other hand fits the whole world population is sexual frustration. Who knew sex can also improve your motivation?  I am sure everyone finds their own solution for this.

Find your Motivators and Demotivators to easily motivate yourself. 

Once all the different aspects of the first row are covered and our minds are at rest, we will move on to the second stage: Safety. How scared would we be if we could not lock our doors at night? Or what would we do if we would lose our job at any second? Wouldn’t we be on alert every second.

Mulling over what could happen? I cannot speak for the whole world, but the German tax system deducts 2.6% of every employer’s monthly income for unemployment and supports with this sum unemployed people. The same goes for health insurance with a percentage of 14.6%. Therefore, the German government already covered two parts of the second row by law and took the fear of financing sickness and sudden unemployment from the population’s minds. Or at least they try.

How can you improve your feeling of safety? Especially when you are a person who worries all the time?

The next chapter talks about Love and Belonging. I think the most popular example is the relationship to one’s parents. How many of us were more motivated to study hard or to practice an instrument for hours or maybe even play sports all day just to earn our parents love and respect? I belong to this group. I was bad in school and I did a lot of incomprehensible things when I hit puberty, but I wanted nothing more than a single compliment.

Just one sign that my mother is proud of me. I have studied so hard that I did the impossible, I got an amazing grade in maths and even got a compliment by my math teacher.  I saw that she was happy and relieved and maybe even a bit proud and I was happy even without words. How are your relationships to other people? Do you feel like you belong? How can you improve your relations?

Find your Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivators to catapult your Motivation.  

Now that I look back at my own old self, I must admit that the motivation to please another is quite interesting. (Don’t try to please everyone, but if you are a people pleaser use it to your advantage to increase your motivation! – Quick side note from the people pleaser sister)

What could I achieve if I would have this kind of motivation in every area of my life? Would I have my own music album by now? Created a cool Instagram campaign? Or who knows, maybe I even would have gotten a scholarship to Oxford if I would have pushed it further. Ladies, the past is over, but the present is not, so let us find the motivation to transform into our best selves.

But first we have another stage to cover: Esteem. I really do not have to say much about it. If you ever had been on any social media platform you for sure have seen the world of the riches. Young adults and little kids bragging with their designer clothes, villas and sports cars while most American young adults drow in consumer debt.

Money builds your reputation and based on your reputation you get the amount of respect you earn in public eyes.  But not only money can get you respect and self esteem shouldn’t only depend on others.

One of my friends always loved drawing while the other was a hard-typing hobby author. They knew they were good at this so they had self confidence and their role as a specialist gained them respect by others. I firmly believe that everyone has something they really like to do and are good at. So be proud of yourself. How else could you improve your self esteem?

Now let us come to the last row and the top of the pyramid: Self- actualization. I questioned myself for a long time if I have ever reached this part of Maslow’s hierarchy and surprisingly, I did hit this stage from time to time. There are these few days where I wake up absolutely happy and excited for no reason. I don’t really know how to explain this atmosphere, but it feels like my soul is at peace – like I can do whatever I please without any consequence that matters.

Maybe you are so far in Maslow’s pyramid that the last stage is your daily life, but we are all individuals and we can and should not compare other people’s stages to our own progress. We are all valid no matter where we are in life or how long we spend on one level.

So now come back to the wild waves of motivation:

Maslow explained in his paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in 1943, that people aim for the self-actualization level in their life but first must solve the basic needs of the levels underneath.

I have created a free template for you below:

So let’s take the level of safety as an example: You want to buy a house, a very typical westernized dream of many Americans and Europeans (but also international)- but would you really have the motivation to save money for a house if you would have to starve? Probably not. It would be safe to assume that you would buy food instead and move the dream of an own house into the future. 

To close this entry, I would really like to say that motivation and goal setting are both important parts of personal growth and both lead to an increased productivity.

What to Read Next:

How To Boost Your Motivation With Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs (+ free Worksheet) Read More »

How to use the 80/20 rule to Prioritize – Simple Time Management Ideas

I sit down. Turn on the Computer. 

The smell of coffee hits my nose. Do I dare do it? 

I take a peek at my to do list. 

2 Pages A4. 

I am immediatelly overwhelmed. A sense of dread hits me. How am I supposed to finish all those tasks? 

I get up. Maybe it’s time for breakfast. 

 

Do you get overwhelmed by your to-do list? I often did. I fact I got so overwhelmed I started procrastinating big time. 

But guess what I still have a Master To-Do list (3 pages A4 and growing), but I don’t get so overwhelmed anymore. (At least most of the time) Instead I have continuously day after day worked and achieved my milestones. 

 

Registered Business ✔️

Submitted my Businessplan ✔️

Moved first home and than to Korea ✔️✔️

Grew Readers ✔️

 

One Technique I use besides my productivity system  is the Pareto Principle for Time Management, better known as the 80/20 rule. You could also say you start with your most important tasks. 

 

The principle is already more than 100 years old. It was created in 1895 by the famous Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s a timeless principle,  applicable to any field you are in!

Benefits of Folllowing the 80 /20 Rule

The 80-20 Rule:

                • Cuts down your work time
                • Makes you feel less stressed
                • Increases your productivity
                • Gives you information on where your revenue/results come from

What is the 80/20 rule?

Pareto explained it with the wealth division in Italy: 80% of the Italian wealth is owned by 20% of the population (investopedia).

In a business this means that 80% of revenue comes from 20% of the customers.

Now we know we have to concentrate on THE 20% and to build our relationship with those customers. But not only with customer 20 % of our efforts lead to 80% of our results. 

 

What tasks are we focusing on that take a lot of time but have no big impact on the results? 

The Pareto Principle or the 80-20 rule helps us evluate all the tasks we are doing or have to do. Which tasks are actually necessary to get the best outcome with the least effort? 

The 80 / 20 Rule shows us how to get the fastest/best outcome with the least effort/resources. 

What does the 80/20 rule mean for time management?

You can now use the Pareto Principle to organize your schedule and to prioritize your tasks to work the most efficiently: 

  1. Take out your to-do list and mark your tasks 
  • A = high impact
  • B = medium impact
  • C = Low impact on success

Always work on your A-level tasks first. 

How do you use the 80/20 rule to set goals?

Let's say you are a blogger or Sales Person:

Chose goals who have the highest impact on your Success: 

For example many bloggers create fancy looking Pinterest header Pictures. But there is barely any benefit to your daily readers. Check which number 1 goal this month, this week, and today would have the highest impact on your success. 

Chose goals with your Key Customers in Mind: 

20% of our readers make 80% of our income, so we focus on them. What content do they like? Which design? In what topics are they interested and why? If 20% of our readers make 80% of our income than we can set up a clearer target group analysis to increase our popularity and revenue. Focus on them. Create content based on your core audience. 

Is the 80 -20 Rule an Unchangeable Law? Pareto Debunked

Now before you think  about your top 20%  I have to clear a last misconception. 

As you probably read 20% and 80% you figured it sums up to 100%. But the 80% is actually not set in stone. It can be 70% or 90%. So, for example, 20% of the reader can create 57% of your income or 89%. 

“Applying the 80/20 rule might be beneficial to our lives in some cases, but using it without critiquing how distinct sets of rules apply and interact can easily mislead and negatively affect our personal and professional lives.” –Annisa RT

How you've probably already Used the Pareto Principle without knowing:

I am sure you have used the 80/20 rule already – in School: 

Just think back when exams came up: Did you study every single paper your teacher has ever handed out? Or did you cut down your workload by guessing what’s on the test and what’s not? 

Here, the rule is simple: 20% of your material is mainly on the test. Those 20% give you 80% of the points. 

Look at these 11 examples of the 80/20 rule in real life:

  1. 20% of the input creates 80% of the result
  2. Of all the products you sell 20% cause 80% of profits
  3. 20% of the workers produce 80% of the result
  4. 80% of your costs come from 20% of your expenses
  5. 20% of the bugs cause 80% of the crashes
  6. During 20% of your day you achieve 80% of your tasks
  7. 20% of the features cause 80% of the usage
  8. 20% of seeds planted result in 80% of the flower
  9. 20% of your clothes are worn 80% of the time
  10. 80% of women on Dating Sites only really go after the top 20% of men
  11. 80% of your wants and needs come from a healthy relationship,  20% you need to provide for yourself (Time for a Self Care Night Routine I’d say ;))

Wrappping up:

Are there any further situations you have used the 80/20 rule before? 

Now it is time for you to figure out where your 20% is and which tasks are important to build on those. In which area of your life do you want to apply the 80/20 rule? 

 

How to use the 80/20 rule to Prioritize – Simple Time Management Ideas Read More »