Are you chronically over capacity? So full of ideas, errands, tasks, obligations and birthday gift ideas and grocery lists and emails and texts you haven’t responded to that you just feel like a cup overflowing your depth every single day?
It can feel defeating to realize your capacity has changed. In fact this was one of the biggest challenges I encountered personally when I realized as an adult that I had undiagnosed ADHD. Once that realization struck, I saw clearly that self care, working on weekends to catch up and even escaping the overwhelm with a good book weren’t going to fix the problem.
Because the problem wasn’t me. It was a world that will push our boundaries until we have absolutely nothing left to give. And as an ADHD individual, it wasn’t that I was failing to keep up – it’s that I learned later than most that I needed to say no.
Yep. My ADHD made me too agreeable and willing to over schedule myself. Realizing my capacity had changed and therefore my actions needed to change was humbling – and I’ve heard similar stories from women who’ve had a child, received a major health diagnosis, or even reached a major milestone birthday.
Here’s 3 hacks that I, an entrepreneur with ADHD (who is also highly ambitious and works alongside high performing women ever day) use to take action when I feel like I’ve reached my capacity:
- “Lose” my phone: When you’re stretched thin, one more notification is enough to make you lose it. I will decide to leave my phone in another room and eliminate the noises, buzzes and temptation to distract myself.
- Values work first: I sort my must do’s by my professional values. For me, that means tackling tasks that align with respect, personal potential and ethics – for me, my business and my clients.
- Detach your productivity from your feelings of success and pride: Anyone else been told they’re exceptional and smart from a young age? I was in the gifted and talented program as an elementary school kid and so were many of my clients – these programs have taught us from a young age that we’re capable of doing extra, more difficult work and that our performance was what earned us praise. And we…well, we took that with us into the workplace. Remind yourself consciously that you don’t have to be the most productive person to be the one who is successful. The best indicator of success is in fact a well-rested woman with a life she loves.
Have you tried any of these hacks? Do you have other ways of functioning when you feel like you’re at capacity? Tell me more in the comments!
And if you want to unlock your leadership potential, stop feeling constantly overwhelmed, and actually be seen and valued for your brilliance…book a power up call with me! We’ll strategize how to make this your most powerful year yet.