Part 8: Dealing with overwhelm at work – wellbeing practical solutions
- Karen Lewchenko
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
We work in a highly regulated, fast-paced environment with a need for a steady and logical approach to our work. This means we have to be at the top of our game whilst also taking enough time to stay focused and deliver accurate, excellent work. It’s a balancing act and one that most professionals are familiar with.
According to MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) England “more than 25% of workers reported feeling unable to cope with workplace stress” and “47% of employees believe that an open dialogue about mental health would significantly improve their wellbeing at work”.
Overwhelm can be defined as the tipping point when the demands of your job outweigh your ability to cope – either mentally or physically. It’s when it all stacks up to be ‘too much’ and your collective stresses mean you become unable to function properly or effectively. It’s a crisis of sorts.
It is not unusual to feel overwhelmed by the many demands we encounter in our work environments – relationships, work levels, deadlines, keeping up with changes and so much more. To manage the feelings of overwhelm there are a few things you can do – and ideas you could suggest or implement in the workplace to help the whole team.
Help yourself
Keep a record of the areas of your workload that you regularly need help with
List your daily, weekly, monthly tasks and take some time to prioritise; or ask for guidance on which tasks should be top of the list. Listing everything under the simple headings of “must - should – could” can help take away some of the pressure. ‘Could’ can keep, while ‘must’ genuinely needs more timely attention
Be honest if you think you need to improve your skills or need specific training with time management or work-based tasks
Learn how to say no to additional work. Gently but firmly explain why you can’t help. Practise saying ‘I’m at capacity, sorry’. Alternatively you can manage expectations realistically, for example… ‘I can do that but it won’t be until next Wednesday as my schedule is full until then’
Don’t seek perfection. One of our clients has ‘Make it great and crack on’ in big letters on her office whiteboard. Do a really good job… and on to the next!
Check your vitals – sleep, nutrition, movement and good connections with friends and family – are you getting enough?
Refer back to our mindfulness at work article. In a stressed out panic you may not think you have time to stop and breathe but just a minute or two can make a big difference to the rest of your day and the quality of your work
Improve the culture
Adopt a working environment where everyone, top down, respects working and non-working hours. Set the times and stick to them, including lunchtime. Working through and late on a regular basis is a bad habit and detrimental to your mental health and productivity. Senior leaders should model this behaviour – make it known it is OK to work the hours you are meant to, and then leave
Review workloads and resourcing levels often
Encourage an open, supportive environment where everyone is able to speak up and freely discuss their concerns. This can also be a very positive, proactive way to improve processes and systems
Encourage teamwork and a supportive attitude among team members so everyone helps each other
Recognise publicly that long hours aren’t praiseworthy – and smart working is much better – it could be the start of something new for your organisation
If you can see someone is struggling, work together to see if there are any solutions to be found – better systems, useful software, physical assistance
We mention regular check-ins in some of our other articles – this is another reason to see how your team is really feeling. There will be signs – missed deadlines, a change in demeanour, disorganised workspaces – look for the signals
Having a healthy life/work balance is something that Just Audit values highly and it has long been part of our culture. We believe in doing the very best work we can; followed by time for ourselves outside of work. This means not checking emails, taking calls or having meetings after hours. It’s really important, especially in today’s ‘always on’ digital landscape where switching off goes against the grain.
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