Coping with Stress - One Question, One Answer

Generally the situation is temporary, moving toward a deadline or a project completion, but if it continues for too long it can create a period where the individual is overloaded and feels considerable stress. When the demand or intensity is lessened the worker usually goes back to a relatively balanced situation. What if that doesn't happen?

If you describe yourself as simply 'coping with stress', we have a question for you.

How Long Can You Keep Going Like This?

How long can a person healthily handle a period of overload? I suppose it's different for every person, but certainly the answer is ‘temporarily’. If it goes on for too long, it's going to push the individual into a situation with the potential for more serious consequences where they will not only be coping with job burnout but just plain, flat out dealing with burnout and all its consquences.

Sometimes we can continue in this environment for a long period of time. We deal with the very real stresses that it puts upon us. Just remember that stress has to go somewhere. So it affects our physical, mental or emotional health or it works its way through us to put stress on our family life or those around us.

I have experienced overload. It was a period that went on for a number of years and in some respects, became quite challenging. There did not seem to be an end in view. Therefore, I didn't have the sense that it was temporary and that made moving forward very demanding. But, I found solutions. I talk about those in our recordings, reports and courses.

If you would describe yourself as coping with stress, let's move you well out of coping as if it is the best you can do. Make the decision today to completely turn around how you will ever answer this question again. Dealing with burnout 'before' it happens involves being very intentional.

Share Your Experience with Burnout.

We'd like to hear your experiences dealing with burnout. Your insights may be helpful to someone else. What happened (briefly)? What do you feel were the contributing factors? How did you deal with burnout? What tips would you give to help others with avoiding burnout?

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