I’m in over my head.  I’ve got too many balls in the air.  I’m drowning.  I’m buried.  I’ve got a lot on my plate. I’m up to my ears in everything. I have too many irons in the fire.  I’m swamped. There are a million ways to say it and it all boils down to the same thing:  I’m uncomfortably busy.

This is normal for me this time of year.  The financial aid profession kind of comes to a head in the month of March as everything is suddenly time sensitive and important.  It’s a mad scramble to finish up the current academic year and prepare for summer, all while focusing an enormous amount of attention to new applicants and admitted students for the fall, and also preparing the graduating 3Ls for the idea of student loan repayment.  Add to this being more than a year into a global pandemic while also juggling personal and family responsibilities and it’s no wonder I’m exhausted.

This happens to everybody at one point or another (and will continue to do so throughout life).  You have so much going on that it becomes difficult to sort out what to do first.  Everything is urgent.  Everything is the most important.  And you can’t do it all at the same time.

Like many folks, I use a To Do List to sort out my daily responsibilities.  But this time of year, I take it to the next level.  I prioritize my list.  First I use letters.  If it has to be done today, it gets an A.  If today would be ideal, but it won’t suffer for waiting until tomorrow, it gets a B.  If it can wait more than one day, it gets a C.  Then come the numbers.  Now that the list is already sorted, the most important/urgent A gets a 1, the next important A gets a 2, and so on until everything on my list has a letter/number priority code.  This takes away a lot of the sense of being overwhelmed because I know what order I need to do things in.

While the To Do List itself is a form of self-care, it’s important to include taking care of yourself in your priorities.  Take a shower.  Go for a walk.  Watch a favorite TV show.  Eat some vegetables. Pay your bills that are due next week. File your income tax.  If there’s a chance you won’t do it if it’s not included in the list, then by all means put it on the list!  Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of business.  Always.

Life can be overwhelming.  A prioritized To Do List can help.  Really.