No matter how organised any one individual strives to be, there will always be days that are jam-packed with urgent meetings and deadlines and 150 emails to be answered. When you find yourself in a situation such as this, consider these tips:
1. Take a deep breath: the most important step to take when your day starts to overwhelm you is to take a deep breath and stop your mind running in circles. Once you've done this, you may find it beneficial to find a pen and paper so you can start to plan your day;
2. Assess: it may be beneficial to assess what actually needs to be done today, and what can be postponed till later. As you are doing this, you may find it beneficial to move through your calendar and cancel all of your non-essential appointments to free up valuable time;
3. Prioritize: once you've cleared some room in your schedule, it's time to prioritise. You can start by listing tasks from the most important, down to items which might be able to slip a day or two if absolutely necessary. This will allow you to immediately focus on the most important tasks, and complete these straight away;
4. Delegate: you'll often find that you are able to delegate simple or even complex tasks off to others in your agency. Consider what tasks actually need to be completed by you personally, and you may find yourself saving hours in your day.