We all feel overwhelmed from time to time. What helps me the most is to write everything down on a list. I work on the top priority items first, then work my way down the list. Lists keeps me focused on what I need to get done.

If I'm overwhelmed, I will limit my email time. By that I mean, I will glance at my emails to see if anything is truly urgent. If I need to take care of something I will. But then, I log out of my email and get working on my tasks. Email can take up a huge amount of time. Before you know it, you've spent a couple of hours responding to email instead of working on what was urgent.

Another thing I do is let my answering machine pick up all my phone calls. I have the phone near me in case it is important for me to answer. (I have Caller ID so I know who is calling.) I've found that it is more efficient for me to return calls all at once, when it is convenient for me.

Something I've been learning lately is to give myself permission not to get everything done that is on my "to do" list for the day. Life happens. Situations come up that you have to take care of. I tell myself "If I don't get this done today, it's not the end of the world, I'll do it tomorrow". This has actually helped me quite a bit. I was stressing myself out by taking on too much for one day. Now, I force myself to relax and realize I can only do so much each day.