Overwhelm

[nutshellydon]

Does anyone else sometimes find work completely overwhelming? I'm a junior trainee in a demanding profession and sometimes I feel like I can't do my job and that everyone else is doing much better. Not looking for any advice in particular, just wondering if I'm alone in this.

No, you are not alone, it happens to people at any stage in their career.

Useful tools are to look at your time management. Chunking, pomodoro, and Paired Comparison Analysis are tools that I have found to help a lot when there's too much to do and not enough time.

Also, if you are a junior trainee, remember that you are still learning your job, so don't let the gaps you still have damage your confidence. That's the whole point of being a trainee. Who are you comparing yourself to?

Also have a look at the Dunning Kruger effect - people tend to either overestimate or underestimate their abilities.

Thank you for replying. I suppose I know I'm not the only one - everyone struggles at times. I think I compare myself to everyone - wfh doesn't help - it's easy to think that everyone else has it together much better and is billing way more.

You aren’t. I think that most people who have a high workload feel it from time to time. Recognising it and having strategies to deal with it are the key. (Ignoring it and messing about on Mumsnet all day not a recommended strategy, but here I am!)