Stress in the workplace - am I overly stressed or burnt out?

Sometimes people on the edge spin faster to avoid toppling into the abyss. So they work even longer hours, appear more committed to their jobs than ever before and spend a lot of time thinking and worrying about work. If this all sounds familiar, it may be hard to take a step back to try and get a different perspective on the significance of work in your life.

The following typical behaviour patterns should help you identify how much you are at risk from acute stress or actual burnout:

• Getting into work early and leaving late
• Spending less time with family and friends
• Losing interest in life outside work, feeling it's somehow less important
• Lying awake, or waking in the night, worrying about work
• Feeling restless and impatient when away from work
• Believing that your self worth comes only from how effective you are at work
• Missing lunch and other breaks
• Worrying about what colleagues and superiors think of your performance
• Setting yourself impossible targets
• A gnawing feeling that you're just not good enough, whatever you do.

For further information call 0800 081 0700