Stress A Part of Daily Life

February 28, 2010 by Admin  
Filed under General Articles

Stress- A Part of Daily Life

Existence is a gradually becoming a very complicated process. In the olden days, life was much simpler. People were bothered with the day to day proceedings. They did not have much complicated life styles. Their unhappiness was much more basic. Maybe it stemmed from lack of money or resources, or the illness of relatives etc. The word ‘stress’ was virtually unknown at that time. These days, every few sentence includes the word stress in it. Most people do not quite realize what exactly it is.

The word ’stress’ is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a state of affair involving demand on physical or mental energy". A situation or circumstance (not always adverse), which can disturb the normal physical and mental health of an individual. In medical terms ’stress’ is defined as an alteration of the body’s homeostasis. This demand on mind-body occurs when it tries to cope with incessant changes in life.

A ’stress’ condition seems ‘relative’ in nature. Extreme stress conditions, psychologists say, are detrimental to human health but in moderation stress is normal and, in many cases, proves useful. Stress, nonetheless, is synonymous with negative conditions.

"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances."
—Thomas Jefferson

The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole assortment of situations – everything from absolute physical danger to making a class presentation.

The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups, putting our muscles on alert. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body’s energy. And sweat is produced to cool the body. All of these physical changes prepare a person to react quickly and effectively to handle the pressure of the moment.

This natural reaction is known as the stress response. Stress in certain circumstances may be experienced positively. Eustress, for example, can be an adaptive response prompting the activation of internal resources to meet challenges and achieve goals. But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly.

Good Stress and Bad Stress

The stress response (also called the fight or flight response) is critical during emergency situations, such as when a driver has to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. It can also be activated in a milder form at a time when the pressure’s on but there’s no actual danger – like stepping up to take the foul shot that could win the game, getting ready to go to a big dance, or sitting down for a final exam. A little of this stress can help keep you on your toes, ready to rise to a challenge. And the nervous system quickly returns to its normal state, standing by to respond again when needed.

But stress doesn’t always happen in response to things that are immediate or that are over quickly. Ongoing or long-term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school, can cause stress, too. Long-term stressful situations can produce a lasting, low-level stress that’s hard on people. The nervous system senses continued pressure and may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones over an extended period. This can wear out the body’s reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body’s immune system, and cause other problems.

Although just enough stress can be a good thing, stress overload is a different story – too much stress isn’t good for anyone. For example, feeling a little stress about a test that’s coming up can motivate you to study hard. But stressing out too much over the test can make it hard to concentrate on the material you need to learn.

Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause people to feel stress overload. Here are some of the things that can overwhelm the body’s ability to cope if they continue for a long time:

being bullied or exposed to violence or injury
relationship stress, family conflicts, or the heavy emotions that can accompany a broken heart or the death of a loved one
ongoing problems with schoolwork related to a learning disability or other problems, such as ADHD (usually once the problem is recognized and the person is given the right learning support the stress disappears)
Overcrowded schedules, not having enough time to rest and relax, and always being on the go.
Problems in the work place, rivalry with colleagues.  

Some stressful situations can be extreme and may require special attention and care. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a very strong stress reaction that can develop in people who have lived through an extremely traumatic event, such as a serious car accident, a natural disaster like an earthquake, or an assault like rape.

Some people have anxiety problems that can cause them to overreact to stress, making even small difficulties seem like crises. If a person frequently feels tense, upset, worried, or stressed, it may be a sign of anxiety. Anxiety problems usually need attention, and many people turn to professional counselors for help in overcoming them.

People who are experiencing stress overload may notice some of the following signs:

anxiety or panic attacks
a feeling of being constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried
irritability and moodiness
physical symptoms, such as stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pain
allergic reactions, such as eczema or asthma
problems sleeping
drinking too much, smoking, overeating, or doing drugs
sadness or depression

Experiences of stress differ from person to person. Some people become angry and act out their stress or take it out on others. Some people internalize it and develop eating disorders or substance abuse problems. And some people who have a chronic illness like blood pressure, blood sugar, arthritis etc may find that the symptoms of their illness flare up under an overload of stress.

Stress-management skills work best when they’re used regularly, not just when the pressure’s on. Knowing how to "de-stress" and doing it when things are relatively calm can help one get through challenging circumstances that may arise. Here are some things that can help keep stress under control.

Taking a stand against over scheduling: If one is feeling stressed, one must consider cutting out an activity or two, opting for just the ones which are most important.
Being realistic. It is not necessary to be perfect. No one is. And expecting others to be perfect can add to one’s stress level, too. It also puts a lot of pressure on them. If one needs help on something, one should ask for it.
Getting a good night’s sleep. Getting enough sleep helps keep one’s body and mind in great shape, making one better equipped to deal with any negative stressors. Because the biological "sleep clock" shifts during adolescence, many teens prefer staying up a little later at night and sleeping a little later in the morning. But if one stays up late and still needs to get up early, one may not get all the hours of sleep one needs.
Learn to relax .The body’s natural antidote to stress is called the relaxation response. It’s your body’s opposite of stress, and it creates a sense of well-being and calm. The chemical benefits of the relaxation response can be activated simply by relaxing. You can help trigger the relaxation response by learning simple breathing exercises and then using them when you’re caught up in stressful situations. And ensure you stay relaxed by building time into your schedule for activities that are calming and pleasurable: reading a good book or making time for a hobby, spending time with your pet, or just taking a relaxing bath.
Treat your body well. Experts agree that getting regular exercise helps people manage stress. (Excessive or compulsive exercise can contribute to stress, though, so as in all things, use moderation.) And eat well to help your body get the right fuel to function at its best. It’s easy when you’re stressed out to eat on the run or eat junk food or fast food. But under stressful conditions, the body needs its vitamins and minerals more than ever. Some people may turn to substance abuse as a way to ease tension. Although alcohol or drugs may seem to lift the stress temporarily, relying on them to cope with stress actually promotes more stress because it wears down the body’s ability to bounce back.
Watch what you’re thinking. Your outlook, attitude, and thoughts influence the way you see things. Is your cup half full or half empty? A healthy dose of optimism can help you make the best of stressful circumstances. Even if you’re out of practice, or tend to be a bit of a pessimist, everyone can learn to think more optimistically and reap the benefits.
Solve the little problems. Learning to solve everyday problems can give you a sense of control. But avoiding them can leave you feeling like you have little control and that just adds to stress. Develop skills to calmly look at a problem, figure out options, and take some action toward a solution. Feeling capable of solving little problems builds the inner confidence to move on to life’s bigger ones – and it can serve you well in times of stress.

Some people are very resilient under stressful situations. They’re cool under pressure and able to handle problems as they come up. They are very well balanced and capable.

 

Dr Sayani Basu has started her career since 1999. Being a student of Psychology her research area is Ego psychology, stress, and aggression (towards self and others). Her research was on female Homicide Convicts and Para Suicide Patients. After working in various NGO’s she is currently working as a Senior Lecturer in an eminent Business School in Calcutta. The topics that she teaches are Organization Behavior, Psychology, Human Resource Management, Values and Ethics.

The effect hides any country reject into my economics.

August 30, 2009 by stressmaster  
Filed under General Articles

The effect hides any country reject into my economics.

Importance of Exercises in Weight Loss and Stress Management

August 3, 2009 by Admin  
Filed under General Articles

Stress can be easily manages through fit body and fit body can be maintained by doing regular exercises. There are in 3 different components of exercises. The first and important component of fitness exercise is cardio respiratory. This is achieved all the way through aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercise refers to exercise that keeps the heart beating at a higher rate than standard for a comprehensive period of time (half an hour to 1 hour). This is the easiest type of exercise because all that is really necessary is a good pair of shoes.

Taking a 30 minutes normal walk three times a week is all that needed to burn fat and lead to other fitness. Other aerobic activities that need more equipment and/or a particular place to do it include running, biking, aerobics, and swimming, playing sports like tennis and basketball can also gives some aerobic advantages. The second component of fitness exercise is power and muscular stamina. A person who has more power is going to burn more calories this means that adding power will help even when a person is laying down.

Strength training typically requires weights. However, a person can do push-ups and sit-ups to gain some of the important benefit of weight training. There are many different types of exercise a person can do to boost power. If there are persons who are authentically concerned in starting a strength program, a trainer may want to get in touch with a fitness trainer in the area to see if he would be keen to provide extra instruction. On the other hand, there may be program offered through different group of people that a person could attend.

There are also several fitness programs on internet that can be joined. The workout program must be chosen very cautiously because you need a program designed by a trainer or expert who knows all the fundamentals of weight loss training. Turbulence Training Program is the most popular and highly recommended workout system for both men and women. The final component of fitness exercise is flexibility.

Flexibility is enhanced by doing basic and essential stretching. Flexible muscles and joints are not as much of likely to get injured while engaging in physical activity. There are a number of flexibility exercises to keep your fit and healthy, and they often are part of aerobics or power training. Use similar resources mentioned with power training to educate specific flexibility exercises.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

Check out the most popular fat burning program – Turbulence Training Workout Program Review. Read information on Twitter Marketing Tips to get more twitter followers and traffic. Also know Internet Home Business Ideas and opportunities to earn money online.

Nick Mutt is an active writer and blogger on health related topics. He has published many ebooks on natural health.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/importance-of-exercises-in-weight-loss-and-stress-management-1092964.html

Stress Cognition

April 23, 2009 by Admin  
Filed under General Articles, Stress Cognition

We have already discussed the first two C’s – namely Control and Communication.

The third ‘C’ stands for ‘Cognition’ or perception

So let’s look at how Cognition can help to alleviate the symptoms of burnout and/or stress. When bearing the brunt of excessive stress we tend to fall into the trap  of making negative estimates of everything, our sound judgement is affected, we entrap ourselves in pessimistic viewpoints. However, we need to be completely realistic about the situation. We need to analyze whether or not there really is a basis for such negative thinking patterns, maybe ask your self this question, “Will the result really be as bad as you fear, or are you blowing the fear out of all proportion?” Perhaps it is time to shift one’s perception, move the mind in another direction altogether, to look at the problem of what is causing our stress levels to rise from a completely new angle. Parents Magazine has this to say on this stress technique, “You can start by assuming that if you are burned out and under stress, it’s probably because you are ‘good’, not because you are ‘bad’,”

Recall this point, That the types of individuals who are prone to stress burnout etc set for themselves very high standards and usually care about other people a great deal. One of the most helpful things you can do towards any individual going through burnout or a highly stressful situation, is to give to them a kind word of appreciation, for who they are and the work that they do.  It can be summed up by saying, commit random acts of kindness. For a certainty an encouraging word of appreciation for the efforts of others really does go a very long way towards bolstering that individuals sense of self perception and self confidence. In the family we need to learn this lesson more.  In the workplace much stress management help can be rendered to others through positive affirmation of the good efforts of individual team players. By doing this regularly, getting into the genuine habit of praising others with appreciation, where that praise is due, this really can have a very positive effect on the individual suffering from stress or burnout.

There is light at the end of the tunnel with effective stress management techniques.  Implementing a range of commonsense, caring approaches to tackling the causes of stress, everyone can benefit for the overall good not only of individual people but our work and learning environments too making the whole of society around us, a happier, safer and more prosperous place to be.

Stress Communication

April 23, 2009 by Admin  
Filed under General Articles

Our second ‘C’ is for a Supportive Circle of Communication

With no pun intended, it is interesting that many firefighters do not experience burnout. This could perhaps be in addition to being considered somewhat heroic characters, they have also developed between themselves a very high level of camaraderie, when working together or spending leisure time in each others company. The fact that they have a supportive circle or group to lean on creates excellent communication between themselves, supporting one another – indeed their very lives often depend on it. Describing methodologies for physicians to cope with stress burnout symptoms, the book ‘Burnout Syndrome’, states this, “For doctors, their family, especially their spouse, is the most effective and and realistic emotional supporter.” Everyone, regardless of who they are, their ethnic background or social group, whatever their job role, their role in society, needs someone or a group of people, that they feel that they can safely confide in, their feelings.

USA Today goes further with this quote, “We must build our own support system of close friends and family. We also must feel free to utilise the resources of our religious centers and mental health services.” While a human support system may recharge our batteries for another day, sometimes this alone is not enough. Martin E. P. Seligman in his book Helplessness makes this interesting observation concerning stress and burnout, namely, that the unbridled individualism in the West can also be seen as a contributing cause for the increase in stress and depression, feelings of burnout today within society and he further added that perhaps what is required to manage stress effectively is finding more meaning within life. He stated this true irrevocable fact that “one necessary condition for meaning is the attachment to something larger than what you are.” Sometimes confiding in a group setting, a communication circle where every member is given free right to express their own individual feelings, this can have a huge positive impact on dealing with stress and subsequent burnout within the workplace environment.  For those individuals that have a religious faith whatever that may be, prayer may also be helpful to help one to relax more and meditate on the more important things and priorities within individual personal lives.

Changing your viewpoint often can help to alleviate stress which naturally brings us to our third ‘C’.

12 Stress Beating Tips

April 23, 2009 by Admin  
Filed under Beat Stress, General Articles

12 Stress Beating Tips

Below are presented 12 tips to prevent stress and prevent burnout from a clinical specialist in mental health nursing.

  1. Try to remain in control of your thoughts, feelings and behaviour – meditation can often be of great assistance.
  2. When you begin to start the ‘worry’ process, deliberately make a conscious effort to change over to useful, more decisive thinking.
  3. When you start to feel agitated, stress is on the horizon waiting to pounce, take good strong deep breaths and consciously relax.
  4. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the other individual causing you stress, empathise with their position and try to understand why the stress is developing.
  5. Focus on what you appreciate about the people you work with or family members and compliment them regularly. Not false flattery but genuine positive praise.
  6. Try and identify and stifle negative, destructive thinking modes which can spiral you downwards emotionally.
  7. Learn how to positively assert your personal position, know when to say no.
  8. Engaging in brisk physical exercise is extremely good for your overall well being, physically and mentally and of course emotionally.
  9. Always do your level headed best to treat everyone else with respect, how you would like to be treated yourself, seeking to bring out always, the best in others.
  10. Maintain if you can a sense of humor, a sparkle of life in your eye.
  11. Know when to leave your problems whether these be in the workplace or in the home, do not transfer these problems outside of their own arena.
  12. Do today what must be done to realise the goal, do not procrastinate and put off until tomorrow, what can be done today.

The above 12 stress busting tips are an adaptation of “Dealing With Feelings, Beating Burnout,” by Ruth Dailey Granger, American Journal of Nursing, January 1992.

Those individuals that are fully aware of their own limitations and the limitations in others too, welcome help and assistance.  This emotional maturity pays dividends when experiencing stress or burnout, realising that one of the paramount keys to avoiding stressful situations in the first place, is knowing when to ask for help. A lot of people are afraid to ask for help especially when experiencing high stress levels for fear of rebuttal or not being taken seriously, or perhaps for fear that they may be looked upon as failing in their job at work. Not asking for help when needed though can lead to even greater problems, not only for you personally, but the entire team effort. Be it secular work, housework or college learning associated work, whatever situation is threatening you with stress or burnout – delegate work wherever you can so that everyone becomes a strong positive team player, by doing so you will usually end up with a much more positive atmosphere. It can be surprising with the right amount of delegation just how much the entire team can accomplish when this ethos is employed. There is absolutely no need for you to feel that you have to carry the whole burden of responsibility on your shoulders, all alone.

Another important stress buster is giving yourself the right amount of rest, not too much and not too little.  The same can be said for diet. Eating fast foods at work, snacking, chocolate bars etc, too much caffeine all of these can also contribute towards heightened stress levels.  Try your best to allocate proper time for breaks at work and at home and give your food time to digest properly.  Easier said than done sure, in many circumstances, all the more reason then when you are out of your work environment to allocate to yourself proper rest periods or ‘you’ time.

Causes Of Stress

April 23, 2009 by Admin  
Filed under General Articles

Why Do Individuals Burnout And Get Stressed?

One survey was carried out to ascertain amongst a group of nurses three contributing factors to stress and burnout. First and foremost was the amount of hassles causing frustration and exasperation in the first place. By way of example, the greater majority of nurses had to carry around with them every hour of every working day, weighty responsibilities, learning how to accept new challenges and extreme difficulties  not only in dealing with patients directly, but also prescribing drugs, handling new pieces of medical equipment and procedures, facing mounting financial considerations and in house hospital budgeting systems and on top of all of this, having to put up with an irregular life-style not to mention amongst many split shifts which interrupted their normal sleeping patterns. The aforementioned book Moetsukishokogun made the point that, “These daily hassles constitute the greatest influence toward their stress levels and ultimately, burnout.” When problems remain unresolved , frustration simply builds up and thus inevitably, leads to burnout or heightened levels of stress.

The second factor noted in this report was lack of support, not having a friend or counsellor to confide in. Thus, a mother who isolates herself from other mothers is more likely to burnout or feel increased levels of stress related anxiety. The above mentioned survey also found that single nurses are more likely to fall foul of stress related symptoms and burnout than those nurses who were in a steady long term relationship or married. Conversely, nonetheless being married or in a long term relationship can introduce other factors which too are likely to compound the amount of stress being experienced within the workplace if there is little or no communication between the partners. Even when everyone is home, schedules can still often be extremely hectic and an individual may find her or himself still feeling isolated and alone, with no-one to turn to, to talk about openly and honestly, the reasons why they are feeling so stressed out.

The third and final factor associated with stress and burnout are feelings of helplessness. For instance, nurses are more likely to feel sensations of helplessness than doctors in some situations because nurses may lack the authority to make positive changes directly within the work environment. The same can be said for individuals in middle management roles who may burnout or get extremely stressed when they feel that their greatest efforts are not being recognised or appreciated, in other words, that their decision making processes are not actually getting themselves or their department anywhere.  This can lead very easily to frustration and stress, which if left to go without notice, can end up costing a company or public health sector service, huge dollars in lost revenues or worse. As one human resources manager noted, “burnout and heightened feelings of isolation and stress are an underlying factor to feelings of frustration which can create to a bad negative impact via not feeling listened to.”

Feelings of helplessness in people generally germinate in a soil of unappreciative attitudes and bear the fruit of stress and burnout. Many partners will empathise with this point, they burn out when their spouse fails to acknowledge the amount of work involved within their own particular role. Middle managers similarly burnout, get stressed when a company or corporation boss, manager, director or CEO ignores a job well done and picks on them instead for relatively minor mistakes. The bottom line is that we all need to have our own individual efforts applauded every now and again, our efforts warmly acknowledged, this will and does go a very long way towards alleviating stress and burnout in the workplace and within our personal family lives. If we work or are surrounded by family issues where our efforts are not rewarded with kind words of encouragement, be it at home or in the office or at work then we are much more likely to suffer from stress or potentially burnout.

Interestingly, many obstetricians suffer considerably less from burnout and stress in the hospital environment, perhaps due it is thought, to the acknowledgement and praise heaped on such members of staff regularly from new mothers and fathers whose new son or daughter has just been brought into the world by such hospital staff.  Mothers and fathers naturally nearly always thank them very much for all their hard work and expertise. This proves a worthwhile lesson to all of us, that when individuals feel appreciated and wanted and their efforts are acknowledged, individuals feel that they are wanted, that they are useful and ultimately as a result, feel more motivated.

As soon as we find out who tends to burn out and why, it becomes a lot easier to tackle the root cause/s of the problem and to take the required steps to alleviate such internal suffering from those people around us, as they say, ‘commit random acts of kindness’, for kindness, recognition of the efforts of individuals we work with or are at home with goes a very long way to stopping in it’s tracks, burnout and feels of stress.  Ultimately, if we look out for each other constantly, everyone is a winner.

Who Is At Risk?

April 23, 2009 by Admin  
Filed under General Articles, featured

Stress / Burnout – Who Is At Risk & Why?

Imagine yourself in this situation: Perhaps you like millions of other individuals, are an office worker. Work is piling up on your office desk, work space. Your mobile phone is ringing incessantly with greater and greater demands being placed on you, for your time and expertise. Customers demands are ringing in your ears. You feel that you cannot possibly multitask everything effectively.  You are trying your best to juggle a thousand and one jobs at once. Your supervisor wants to see you immediately that you are not meeting your quota. Your son is at trouble at school. His teacher wants to see you straight after school. Your pleas for assistance to your partner at home go unheeded. The entire situation seems to be getting more and more out of hand, the phone rings again, more and more demands on your time. Is it any wonder today especially, with an economic crisis upon us, with the added threat of job layoff’s that so many millions of people, just like you, feel so ultimately stressed out to the hilt?

When the situation becomes so out of hand, stress becomes distress, dis-ease sets in and you feel just about ready to explode, knowing that you cannot take very much more of this. All of this paves the way for stress burnout.

According to one brain researcher stress burnout is ” the result of living an out of balance lifestyle, typically associated with an all-work/no-play spiral.” Overwork though is not the only contributing factor to stress and burnout, under the same pressure and similar circumstances, some burn out whilst others individuals are not prone to the same levels of stress.

So, who are the likely candidates and/or victims of stress and burnout likely to be?

Just as there is the increased likelihood that some people will be more prone to a certain disease, the same can be applied to stress and burnout. A professor of social psychology at the University of California noted “in order to suffer from stress, burnout, you must first be on fire.” A most apt description which fits exceeding well when you come to think about it. In a nutshell this is saying that those one’s that are prone to burnout stress related symptoms are in fact, your high achievers, those one’s that set themselves high ideals and goals, in other words often, a company’s often best people can be extremely prone to stress and/or burnout.

If one was to sum up the personality traits of potential victims of stress and burnout, professor Fumiaki Inaoka from the Japanese Red Cross, College of Nursing, wrote in the book, Moetsukishokogun (Burnout Syndrome): “Those who are inclined to burn out have strong tendencies to be sympathetic, human, delicate, dedicated and idealistic.  They are not machine oriented but ‘human orientated’, so to speak.”

Asked to develop a test to screen out those that are more likely to burn out, one specialist expert in the stress management area had this to say: “What companies need to do,” he said, “is find the people who care enough to burn out … and then develop the appropriate platforms within the company to combat burnout.”

Especially vulnerable are those individuals involved directly with human-orientated services, for example social workers, doctors, nurses, and teachers. Perhaps they more than most, eagerly accept the challenge of helping other people, giving of themselves all the time to improve only, the lives of other people around them, within their communities. These individuals, perhaps you are one of them, burn out when they realise that they are not achieving the sometimes unachievable and unattainable goals, which they have set for themselves to aspire to. Caring mothers too can suffer from the same feelings and symptoms for very similar reasons.

What is stress?

April 23, 2009 by Admin  
Filed under General Articles, featured

Do you feel stressed?

Are you suffering from burnout?

When you feel stressed or burn’t out it can be increasingly difficult to work at the standard ‘normal’ rate of performance that you usually expect from yourself. Being stressed out or burned out is obviously not good good for you, either mentally, physically or spiritually, in fact when you feel as though you are stressed out to the maximum, it often becomes impossible to function as you normally would.

So first let’s explore what stress burnout actually is.

According to H Freuden-Berger in the mid 1970’s he came up with this definition of stress related burnout, which today is just as fitting as it was back then perhaps, “a state of exhaustion resulting from involvement with people in emotionally demanding situations.” Further we could add to this with the assistance of the American Heritage Dictionary, also “a physical or emotional exhaustion, especially as a result of long-term stress or dissipation.”  There are however depending on the researcher you ask or model depended upon , many shades of difference in the definition of the term ‘burnout’.

It can be said that burnout does not in itself have a true or fully precise medical definition, victims are identified by bouts of short or long-term fatigue, a certain lack of enthusiasm , overwhelming feelings of helplessness or hopelessness and commonly too, malaise. The burnout victim often reacts out of the ordinary even when small things don’t go completely according to plan, responding out of character when going through feelings of burnout. Accompanying stress or burnout the victim often feels extremely tired, irritated and isolated, unsure and indecisive about exactly how to combat these feelings.

Burnout stress also causes procrastination, putting off tasks that otherwise under normal circumstances the stress victim would have no problems at all in getting on with. All efforts expended in the home or workplace may seem to the stress victim to be pointless.

Stress or burnout can affect just about anyone, from school age to those more mature in years, from busy high flying executives to just about anyone you could bump into on the street.  Stress costs not only the individual afflicted with burnout a great deal, but it also affects family relationships and colleagues in the workplace.  In short, stress and/or burnout steals from you, your enjoyment of life and your normal rate of productivity.

Some symptoms to look out for, keep on the watch for include:

* Depleted energy reserves
* Lowered resistance to illness
* Increased dissatisfaction
* Feelings of pessimism
* Increased absenteeism
* Inefficiency at work
* Increased irritability

If you notice any of the above in your work ethos or in relationships either working life or family life, you could be starting to feel the effects of stress or burnout. The time to take action is NOW!