“Stop this train! I want to get off!”

^{“I don’t have the energy to get out of bed. I can’t face the day ahead. I force myself to go to work, but I know I’m only doing a part of my job. I may be there physically but I’m gone mentally. I just want to go to bed and never get up.”}

^{Sound familiar? You may be experiencing the very real symptoms of burnout—or you may be absolutely on the edge of physical illness. Either can be caused by uncontrolled stress.}

^{Work demands are high in today’s rapidly moving world. You may ask yourself,}

^{“How do I balance everything: do a good job at work, keep a marriage healthy, take care of myself, and be a good mom? I feel like a total and complete failure at everything, and I look like a frump everyday. I can’t care about how I look or feel. There’s just so much energy to pass around.”}

^{Does any or part of this scenario sound like you?}

^{Different people handle stressors (those things that cause stress) in different ways. One person may not find keeping up with the demands of work to be stressful, while another person may do things over and over never feeling like anything is good enough. Their stress mounts. Another person may find that preparing for a presentation for their executive board is exciting and they love the preparation and presentation. However, another person may find that public speaking causes nausea, headache, and fear. For these two people, the stressor—public speaking—is the same. However, their different responses to the stressor is evident. One person experiences good stress and one experiences bad stress.}

^{Stress is, actually, good. It can be motivational, energizing, adrenalin producing. However, when stress becomes debilitating and causes negative physiological or psychological problems, it is termed distress. Distress is accountable in 80% of illnesses being treated in America today.}

^{( Cooper. 2008) Burnout at work may develop slowly and may not be recognized until it becomes severe. What a person expects from a job may be different from what they actually experience. When that happens, burnout can begin. Different people respond to situations differently.}

^{The way to create and maintain a healthy work environment is the subject of my newest book, Creating a Healthy Work Environment. You CAN control stress.}

You CAN ENJOY your work days and the people with whom you work. Sound good? Begin a healthy journey to joy and fulfillment in the workplace. Learn to recognize the signs of stress in your own life and gain the skills to control those stressors rather than letting them control you.

When would be a good time to start down that path? Now is good!!

Are you determined to begin? Do you have questions? I want to discuss your plan! Let’s connect on Facebook and Twitter, or by leaving me a comment below.