Information Overload

I don't know about you but I hate having to process a lot of important information at once. This has been happening to me a lot lately. Often times, informaation overload is created by ourselves or situations out of our control. Here are some tips I used today to keep me on track and not pull all my hair out--I am going to keep this list short in the interest of not overloading you with too many tips :).

1. Recognize that information overload is happening. During my grad school orientation, I really questioned if I was ready for this multiple times but, I had to stop myself and realize that I was just getting a lot information at once (and I had skipped breakfast--big no no).

2. Don't make any quick decisions. Quitting grad school while I am hungry and overwhelmed probably not a smart idea in the long run. Give yourself some time to decompress so you process the information clearly and act accordingly. I had to sit by myself for two hours to really get myself together today but I felt good at the end.

3. Do something that brings you joy. I didn't have a lot of time after my information overload--in fact I had another meeting that added more information. So, I grabbed a caramel latte and still made it in enough time to get more information lol. Easy pick me up. 

4. Talk it out. I took the time to speak to some other students in my program and found out we had some things in common (i.e. working full time with school, feeling overwhelmed, etc , so I didn't have to feel alone or like I was the odd ball out. That helped. You are never alone in whatever you are dealing with trust me. 

5. Recognize your limitations and don't panic. After orientation, I realized that I had about 2-3 hours worth of reading to do and no time or books initially. Instead of panicking, I spent an extra hour on campus getting what I needed (I wasn't happy about this but I problem solved instead of panicking).  After work, I stayed a little later to get myself organized  for my classes and when I finally tucked my son into bed, I set a timer and did what I could in thirty minutes and moved on. Staying up all night isn't going to help me so I did what I could and I can start fresh tomorrow. 

6. Sleep on it. Speaking of starting fresh, I know how much better I feel when I actually get sleep. My lovely Up Band has really helped me know more about healthy sleep patterns. So, getting some rest will give you fresh start and a chance to dive into whatever you need to with a sound mind. As I start to think of routines and systems I need to put in place next week, as grad school and work kick off together, getting enough sleep is a high priority.

What are some things you do that help you when you are overwhelmed with information?