How to beat being overwhelmed.

As a small business owner anyone on the outside looking in will tell you that there's no such thing as being too busy, that its a great problem to have if you've got more work on than you can handle, or what a first world problem it is to have a phone that's ringing non-stop. And fine, I get it, while its everything that you could possibly hope for when you first set up, if you're not at a place where you have adequate systems in place to cope with demand, it can be plain overwhelming to have people coming at you from all angles! I completely know how much of a hindrance those butterflies in the stomach can be at the thought of what's on your plate for the day but over the years I've found a few techniques which I regularly put into place to beat those feeling of overwhelm before they take over.

Switch off.
Its much easier to say than it is to do I know but a day away from your laptop and mobile phone will do you the power of good. Put an out of office reply on if you feel it necessary to tell people that you're uncontactable and will get back to them soon.

Let go of control.
If you're in a position where you have staff, this is a great help but can often be a double-edged sword. If you have control issues you will spend time and energy stressing where you don't need to. Have faith in those around you and work out where you really need to focus your time and attention. If someone's got it under control, leave them to it.

Write lists.
I'm such a list person, it really helps me to have a visual to work from. First I write a to-do list, then I break this down into a weekly list and allocate tasks to each day, then I prioritise everything that's on the list for the day ahead. Breaking it down into smaller bite-size sections makes a massive to-do list a little less overwhelming.

Adjust your timelines.
When you're running your own business its really tempting to say yes to everyone and offer a fast turnaround. If you're finding that you're consistently chasing your tail, make your expectations more realistic. If something is going to take you a bit longer, your clients will appreciate you letting them know in advance rather than you affecting their timelines which puts pressure on everyone involved.

If you're constantly finding yourself overwhelmed then it might be time to make some permanent changes to your processes and systems, but some of these ways might help you to relax in the interim. Has anyone else got any other suggestions of something they do when they feel completely overwhelmed??