HBR Guide to Managing Stress at Work (HBR Guide Series)

Chapter 12

A Practical Plan for When You Feel Overwhelmed

by Peter Bregman

We’ve all experienced it: that feeling that we’ve got so much to do that there’s no chance we’ll get it all done. And certainly not done on time. Right now, I’m feeling completely overwhelmed by my to-do list.

Here’s the crazy part. I just spent the last two days trying to work without actually working. I start something but get distracted by the internet. Or a phone call. Or an e-mail. At a time when I need to be most efficient, I’ve become less efficient than ever.

You’d think it would be the opposite—that when we have a lot to do, we’d become very productive in order to get it done. Sometimes that happens.

But often, when there’s so much competing for our attention, ...