What To Do When You Feel Overwhelmed with Information

In the age of the Internet, information is always exploding, no matter the channel. It’s like you have 578 tabs open in your browser but also in all of life, and honestly, it’s, uh, a lot.

At first though, it’s empowering. We live in a really connected age where information on just about any topic is literally at your fingertips via an article, a podcast, a video, an infographic, and a myriad of other channels.

But then, if your brain works like mine, there’s a peak and then a plummet—I start to feel overwhelmed, and ultimately discouraged that I’ll never become a master of anything.

Take freelance writing! I love to use this as an example because it’s so personal. Currently, I work full time and freelance part time. But I’m always jonesing for more articles, blog posts, webinars, videos, you name it, on how to grow a freelance business, how to land that kajillion dollar client, how to, how to, how to (in fact, I write a little more on my misplaced reliance on education here). Tabs upon tabs, and then your social media is flooded with ads for new courses, and boom. [Robot Voice] Brain has reached maximum capacity.

I started to recognize these little personal pitfalls (and how much of a sucker I am for a course…targeted copywriting really does work) and began to make little adjustments to help learning and growing feel more bearable, and ultimately, enjoyable!

1. About those 578 browser tabs…rein them in!

   It has never actually helped me to have a million tabs open on my browser. Much like the whole point of this piece, I get frustrated and just end up closing the window. I figure I could just look at the history later to find the page I was on if I feel so compelled (I never do).
   
   I’ve started a new technique of dragging the tab into a new window, accomplishing the task (reading, writing, researching, etc.), and then closing it to signal that I am complete with it. I remain far more focused to the item at hand since I don’t have a distracting visual of a million actual distractions in my peripheral vision.
   
   I also started compiling a list of actual helpful freelance resources in a Google Doc so I can return to the trusty favorites again and again. Of course, this helps identify saturation (something I write about here)—the point you reach when you can reasonably assume you’ve read all relevant information on a topic, or that you won’t find anything new that is totally ground-breaking.

2. Understand how much time you actually have.

   I must be up front here first and say that I do not have a partner or children, so that automatically puts me in a time surplus zone. And, given that we’re in the middle of a pandemic and I’m not commuting, and my social life is essentially at a standstill, I find myself with a tremendous amount of unfilled hours in the day.
   
   I will say, pandemic and life circumstances aside, the Apple screen time notifications caught my attention big time. I was, uh, surprised, a teensy ashamed, and honestly, motivated to make a change. I have never, ever scrolled through social media and felt a) edified, or b) that I had accomplished or learned anything worthwhile.
   
   So, the concrete, undeniable knowledge that I was spending HOURS not doing anything worthwhile was a massive kick in the arse to start constructing my time blocks differently. How could I spend that time learning and doing? Or adopting other habits that would contribute to my life holistically? I learned I had the time—I just needed to use it better.

3. Use a timer technique for solid work.

   Speaking of using time better, using a timer, such as the Pomodoro Technique, has helped engage my mind in the task at hand and mitigate distractions. I’m also more motivated to actually accomplish tasks, such as write a certain amount, or read an article or two, than when I leave a bajillion tabs open as my brain skitters around the Internet trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do next.

4. Learn to recognize Very Good Resources, so you don’t waste time reading garbage.

   I’m speaking in regards to freelance writing specifically, although I imagine this could translate to a bunch of other topics. The more you read, the more your mind will be able to discern what actually has some meat to it.
   
   There are freelance writing resources that paint the leave your 9-5/relax in a hammock on the beach/sip a Pina Colada scene with immense detail, while glossing over the intense amount of effort and courage it takes to land a steady amount of clients, and the fact that you actually have to do work for said clients. Oh yeah, and month after month after month. Not hard to figure out, but that is a garbage resource.
   
   After a while though, by reading endless blogs and articles, and following a variety of freelancers on social media and via email sign-ups, I began to recognize who had/has consistently great resources for learning and growth and who actually offers new or different information. Then, I stick with those people (and anyone they recommend).
   
   Pare it down. Curate your library of Very Good Resources and stick with them.

5. Pick a few things to focus on to at least get started.

   This is tough for me and ties back to the 578 tabs. Let me expound—in the realm of marketing/communications/writing, there are a lot of swirling small pieces that should come together to form a cohesive strategy for maximum impact.
   
   So, when looking up freelance writing resources, you’ll inevitably run across content versus copy, SEO, UX, social media marketing, email marketing, conversion copy, etc. etc. etc. All of the sudden, you’re not just trying to be a freelance writer anymore. You think you need to learn all the things (which it wouldn’t hurt, but that’s not the point).
   
   Then you’re right-clicking every single link in an article to open a new tab so that you can read about [insert additional new topic] next. Boom: 578 tabs.

   
   Stick with your Very Good Resources. Take it one step at a time. Pick a few topics to hone in on. What do you know need to know first in order to build up to the next topic?

6. Take a break!

   These days, I find myself addicted to nature walks, because there isn’t much else to do (there are worse vices!). Do you know how much more beneficial a nature walk is to me mentally than staring at a browser full of 578 tabs? Do you know how much more enriched my mind feels after a nature walk than letting my eyes melt out of my head scanning one more blog post? (These are rhetorical questions.)
   
   Utilize the time you know you have now to be more structured in your pursuits, and leave your mind time and space to be rejuvenated.

7. Do something (I’m bad at this and fully own my hypocrisy).

   Again, back to saturation—how many articles did I have to read before even dabbling in SEO (approximately 25,738 and still reading)…sort of kidding, but I keep having to remind myself that there is literally nothing stopping me, not even a massive financial barrier, to giving what I’m reading a whirl and trying it out for myself, except my own mental blocks. Even if my attempts were massive failures, it’s not like those would be broadcast. Plus, I’d still learn something. So, fear of failure be damned. Let’s do this.

Further (Better) Reading: OK, stop the presses. This post from Startup Bros is one of the best I’ve read on this very topic (and it links out to even more resources).

This summarizes how I felt/feel when I wrote about saturation and when feeling overwhelmed with information:

• The Overthinker’s Guide to Taking Action: A Complete Guide