Question

Carlita works with patients at a doctor’s office. Her coworker called in sick, so she is taking on extra work and hours. She is very busy and is more tired than usual at the end of each day. In addition to challenges at work, Carlita’s long-time babysitter recently became sick. She is unable to provide after-school care for Carlita’s children. Now, Carlita needs to find someone to take care of her children after school. Carlita also just started her associate degree program. She is enjoying learning; however, keeping up in class has been difficult and taken more time than she expected.

With all of this going on in her life, Carlita feels tired and overwhelmed. She isn’t sure how to best manage her time to take care of all her responsibilities

Describe a time when you have felt, like Carlita, overwhelmed with competing priorities.
Describe how you handled the situation and how the strategies you chose worked for you.
Give Carlita advice that could help her effectively manage all the competing priorities in her

Answer 1

In general, the multiple responsibilities of adults can overwhelm us, work, husband or wife, children, home, pets, and even the car demand time and dedication, and if we add studies everything gets even more complicated. A recommendation that can be given to Carlita, is to prioritize, plan and manage, it has worked for me, prioritize the 3 or 4 things that she has to attend first, in her case, the first one would be to find someone to help you with the children, there solves the biggest of her concerns, then coordinate the work schedule with the study so big loads are in the same days, and she can have other days off to take care of her home, family and have a little rest.

Answer 2

I felt like this while I was working full time and completing my Master's degree while trying to move apartments. I handled by keeping a very specific schedule and sticking to it, and making goals that I had to complete each day. I recommend Carlita attend to the most pressing priority right away, and for all other priorities of equal important to dedicate specific time to addressing it 100% of the way instead of spreading herself thin.