I was mentoring a chap last month and he was oozing stress and exhaustion. Key advice: You can’t outwork a problem; so fix the problem.
It is a vicious circle this busy thing, most challenging is to step back and try and work it out because you've already got loads to do that will fill your time. So you work from earlier to later and shorten breaks, “Ping! There goes my mental health”!
I'll keep it brief, for obvious reasons.
You’re reading this so that’s good; you made time somehow. I have three words for you, priorities, discipline, and support (that’s four but hey...).
Here's what I recommend:
1. Before you plow into the day, set reasonable daily priorities, and make time to do this, it will be THE most important ‘time’ of your day—no slacking.
2. I do a grid, the Eisenhower matrix works for me and many others. 'Urgent' on one axis, 'Important' on the other. I slot the tasks into their pigeon-holes. I am ruthless…and that is your keyword ruthless, don't drift.
3. Check what support you have and things you should be demonstrating and delegating. It isn’t always quicker to do it yourself, especially if the function is repeated. If in doubt, think of delegate first.
4. Do you have someone to delegate tasks to? A key question, have you got the right structure around you?
And finally, if you feel overwhelmed, talk to someone. Do not bottle it up or try to be a hero. That doesn't work and will not solve anything. We all need support, make sure you find yours.