Life often feels overwhelming to everyone. Many people who have been doing this adult thing for many years will talk about “adulting” being hard, and yet there’s very little leeway given to young adults who are navigating all of those challenges in life, and how stressful and confusing these circumstances can be. This same grace isn’t always given to young adults who are navigating life on their own because of housing instability or homelessness.
Too frequently, adults expect homeless youth to just automatically know how to prioritize tasks. If you are homeless, chances are you have a lot that you need to keep track of.
Here are some tips for prioritizing.
Make A List
One of the best ways to get yourself organized when you feel overwhelmed is to make a list.
It sounds simplistic, but it’s a very effective way to start wrapping your mind around all the things that need to be done. In particular, writing a list can help you to get a handle on all the things that need to be done, and the responsibilities that you have. If you’re trying to keep things organized in your head, it can be easy to forget important tasks, but if you have them written down on paper or in your phone, you can easily refer back to the list and remind yourself of what needs to be done.
The Urgent List
It’s not humanly possible to do everything at the same time. Once you have a list of everything that needs doing, you’re going to want to start prioritizing the to-do items. One strategy for doing this is to read through the list and circle or highlight everything on the list that urgently needs to be completed. Enter The Urgent List.
Chances are, most things on your list are going to be important, but some are likely to be more important, or more time sensitive, than others. Once you have the urgent items marked, pull them out to create another list just of those items. As you create the urgent items to-do list, make note of what date different items need to be completed. Anything that must be done sooner is going to be the top priority and should be done first. Keep that list as trim as you can: having a shorter list of just the urgent items can help you be more effective with the time that you have. Then, once you’ve completed all the items on your urgent list, you can focus on the other items that need to be completed.
Some people find it helpful to add your to-do list items to a physical or digital calendar so you can see the different deadlines more easily. Once you get through The Urgent List, you can start to work on the less urgent, but still-important tasks that need to be completed.
Take Things Slowly
When you’re experiencing homelessness or housing instability, it’s easy for everything to feel overwhelming. Feeling stressed and anxious about everything going on, can then make it difficult to focus on the tasks you need to complete. As you’re making a to-do list and prioritizing tasks, try to take things a day at a time. If even that feels too big and hard, you can take things an hour at a time, or even a minute at a time. It’s okay not to be doing something every second of the day, whether you’re homeless or not, but especially if you’re homeless.
Prioritizing rest and relaxation is just as important as making it through your to-do list. Rest is important for your mental and physical health, and an essential way to recharge, particularly during stressful times. You can take your time, even when you’re under a lot of pressure. Rushing can make tasks feel more stressful and overwhelming, so don’t be afraid to take the time you need to prioritize whatever work you need to get accomplished.
Ask For Support
When you are having a hard time figuring out what to do, or what to do next, it’s always okay to ask for support from other people. Experiencing homelessness is stressful and overwhelming, especially if you’re trying to handle everything on your own.
One of the best things you can do is to lean into community. Let your friends and support people help you when you are feeling overwhelmed. This help might look like practical support for helping you accomplish things on your to-do list, or listening to you strategize how to prioritize all the things you need and want to accomplish to gain stability in your life, like getting into school, finishing a GED, finding a job, or getting copies of your identification. Sometimes, having that outside perspective can be especially useful for getting a handle on what needs to be done first.
What will make your life better today?
It’s important to keep big picture goals in mind, and sometimes this means being “responsible” and delayed gratification in order to keep pushing towards your goal. That might look like trying to avoid spending money so that you can save up to rent a room, to pay your phone bill, or to buy food. All of those necessities around accessing food and shelter are priorities, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t also focus on things that bring you joy.
But as you’re focusing on productivity, don’t forget to spend time on the small things that make your life better, not just hopefully in the future, but also today, right now. This will help your mental health and your ability to manage stress. This might look like taking time to do art or read a book. You could also make plans with friends to watch a film or TV show you can access for free online, take yourself on a library “date” and look for books to read. Taking time for fun is important for everyone, especially when you’re navigating difficult life circumstances. Even though “having some fun” might not seem like it should make it onto your urgent task-list, it’s a good idea to save a spot for this kind of self-care when you can.
