Overwhelmed? Go Simple Instead of Going Complex

Posted on May 19th, 2009, by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D.

Life can become reasonably overwhelming, at least partially due to the incredible number of choices that are available to us in the ‘modern’ world. If you would like to reduce your overwhelm, one way to do so is to reduce the complexity that exists in your personal and/or professional life.

Specific Areas Where Simplifying Makes Sense

Although there are scores of ways that you could choose to simplify, here are some general categories worth considering (along with one example of each):

Technology

Any of us that use PowerPoint® know that we can go simple or we can go complex. If we think we have to have a new and different and amazing graphic on every single slide, that’s complex and it takes so much longer than if we say, “You know, I’m going to have a nice blue border that’s attractive and I’m going to have good information here, and every once in a while I’ll have a nice piece of clipart.” That’s simple. And it works.

Personal Maintenance (e.g., hair, nails, makeup, clothing)

Your clothing choices can be simple or complex. I have read about people who decided that navy blue was going to be their color and they just bought lots and lots of navy blue things. Think about what changes can occur when you decide on one color – navy blue or black or brown – and then you buy corresponding brown shoes (or navy shoes). When you are making purchases or planning your daily wardrobe, you no longer have to worry, “Are these shoes fuchsia or magenta? Will they go with that deep pinkish red pair of slacks? What kind of hose should I wear with this? Many of you reading this know the drill (and the questions and the overwhelm). If you have nothing but navy, then it just simplifies your other choices.

Clutter

The more ‘stuff’ you have around, the more overwhelmed you can become. Many wise folks make it a rule that when one thing comes in, one thing goes out. For example, new telephone in, old telephone out; new pair of shoes in, old pair of shoes out; new printer in, old printer out. If you are like most people, you haven’t been practicing this, so you probably need to get rid of as much paper and paraphernalia as you possibly can.

Meals/Food

Decide on all your meals at the beginning of the week rather than worrying each day about what’s for dinner.
Have three cereals rather than 19 cereals in your cupboard. It takes up a lot less space and provides fewer choices.
Cook on the weekends for the week. I am the crockpot queen. I always take recipes and then just doctor them up with more of everything. If they made 20 quart crockpots, I’d probably buy one. After a weekend crockpot event, I can freeze several nights’ worth of food (since my husband doesn’t think that eating the exact same thing 7 nights in a row is a good plan). Part of what simplifies life when I use a crock pot is that it’s really one dish. It’s all in there. Simple, as far as I’m concerned.

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. ~Hans Hofmann

Choose at least one of the following to do today:

Look at your email. Find one item that has been sitting there for awhile because you’re not sure how to respond. Call the person instead and delete the email.
Take a look through your cosmetics and toiletries. Toss at least one.
Look through the kitchen cabinets, laundry room, or garage, i.e., wherever you keep those appliances and gadgets that seemed like a good idea but have turned out to be a pain in the ___ to use. Find one such item and put it in a “Give Away” box.

Repeat each of these at least 3 times over the next week. Check the benefits for yourself. See if becoming ‘just whelmed’ (vs. overwhelmed) isn’t one of the results.

And if life’s daily complexity is just one area that overwhelms you – and you would like to be ‘just whelmed,’ then you’re invited to join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (free!) at

**I Want to Be Just Whelmed (http://www.JustWhelmed.com)

If you would prefer quick, short weekly tips, then the following site is another place to find suggestions and other tools to support you in your quest for peaceful productivity:

**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)

(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!