The greatest health epidemic of this century may surprise you and it’s happening every day. Stress at work may seem like a normal thing to cope with but for some, it can have devastating outcomes for their personal well-being if they allow it to continue. The longer you are exposed to work stress the higher the potential for burnout.

The reasons why this epidemic is so dominating today is wide and varied. Technology is moving at a pace that is so fast that businesses are finding it hard to compete and stay relevant in the marketplace. As businesses change so too does an individual’s work role. If your daily job tasks change dramatically, you start to worry about your security in the workplace and ultimately your financial security. Financial stress tops the list of stresses amongst Australians according to the Australian Psychological Society’s stress and Wellbeing survey in 2015.

Having a career or job that doesn’t suit you or a job that no longer suits your personal circumstances can be stressful. As more businesses restructure, their values may change and may not align themselves with your values. All of this can start to eat away at your well-being and have you seeking work stress leave.

Here are the 7 Signs of Work Stress to watch out for which may have you on the path to work burnout.

1. Feeling tired most of the time.

Your energy is zapped, you’re not getting enough sleep and the domino effect starts to take hold       over a number of months before you actually start to take notice.

2. Eating too much or eating too little.

If you are eating too much, chances are you are emotionally eating to cope with the stress. What you put in your mouth is probably full of sugar, salt and you know the takeaway shopkeeper by name. On the flip side of this, you may be skipping breakfast, not eating lunch and arriving so late from work that dinner seems too hard to prepare.

3. Feeling anxious on Sunday night.

How you feel the night before the working week is a very accurate indicator if your feeling good about your work. If you have knots in your stomach and find it hard to get up on Monday morning, work stress is kicking in.

4. Negative thoughts dominate your thinking.

When we feel stressed, it is easy to engage in negative self-talk which is irrational if we don’t keep it in check. You start to lose motivation not only for your work but start not to have time for other activities you normally draw pleasure from. Feelings of depression can follow quickly from this point.

5. You start to get sick easily.

Visiting your General Practitioner becomes a frequent activity. When we are stressed, digestive problems are very common as the gut is the first place that stress can show up. You are likely to pick up viruses and your immune system struggles to cope.

6. Poor sleep quality.

Night-time is a time where typically our fears play havoc with our mind. As you rest your mind and process the days past activities, if you find yourself worrying about work issues, it means you won’t be able to get a good night’s sleep and feel refreshed for the next day. A good night sleep is an important indicator of Personal Wellbeing.

7. Being bullied at work.

This is becoming all too widespread and can be in the form of harassment, intimidation and experiencing unacceptable behaviour from fellow employees. When you spend the majority of your waking hours at work, being bullied is totally unacceptable and action needs to be taken immediately.

If you are experiencing any of these signs, it is a red flag to put yourself first and regain control of your well-being. Personal well-being is too important to ignore, it will ultimately affect your ability to have financial security for the long term. You have one life, make it a happy and fruitful one!

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