Are you a card-carrying member of the tribe of high-achieving women who strive to do it all: work hard and a lot, get all the things done, and preferably well before the deadline, plus take care of the vacation planning, grocery shopping, dog grooming, and planning your sister’s bachelorette? 

The world loves you, PREcrastinators! But the current situation poses particular risks to you as more time spent at home may fuel stress and anxiety even further, paving the way to COVID burnout.

Here’s a few steps you can take to maintain your sanity:

• Consider this your “month(s) of slow." I’m sorry to tell you, but a high-stress situation is not the time to get more done than usual. If you feel the urge to clean the windows, go ahead. But if you're doing it because of a sense that you should make best use of the time, stop. Now is the time to take care of you. And if you have others home with you, they deserve your attention more than your windows. 

• Sleep enough. Even if you ignore the windows, your to-do list is probably still way too long. Trust me, no matter how many businesses you run and how many people depend on you, if you don’t get enough sleep, you’re not doing anyone a favor. Sleeping enough starts with going to bed before you are too tired–instead of watching “just one more episode.”

• Prioritize deep work. Most precrastinators love ticking boxes, so you may be tempted to tackle the low-hanging fruit on your to-do list first thing in a day because it makes you feel so good. But fact is, every decision, no matter how small, drains your decision-making capacity and leaves you ill equipped for the more important things. So do the deep work first to give it your best and feel truly accomplished.

• Appreciate the creativity that comes with time. Rushing to get a project done? Any time you finish something before it’s due, you rob yourself of the chance to do truly creative work. Studies show that the first solution our brains come up with is always the most conventional. If you want to do something unique, give your mind the time to come up with a more creative second or third approach.

Inspired by Micha's story and tips? Reach out!
She’s one of Go Love Yourself's featured coaches for May!

Micha Goebig works with female professionals, primarily in male-dominated industries, helping them rewrite their story so that they can change the world, one boardroom at a time. She is a certified coach, speaker, published author of novels and non-fiction, and the founder of Go Big Coaching. Micha follows a German-style coaching approach: efficient, pragmatic, solution-driven, direct. Her signature Unlearn Series focuses on going beyond negative self-talk, impostor syndrome, perfectionism, self-sabotage and on building positive habits and routines.