I spoke to my friend today who told me she had been ordered by her doctor to take time off work for at least a month.

Now this was a shock as my friend is the kind of person who always seems calm and at ease. She has a loving partner, two adult daughters that she clearly has great relationships with, lots of friends and a job she loves. So what went wrong?

By her own description she ignored lots of signs from her body and mind that were telling her she’d had put up with too much. For months my friend had dealt with lots of pressure at work and then some family upsets took their toll.

After many months of ‘putting up with things’ and ‘putting on a brave face,’ her physical symptoms of palpitations finally stopped her. She couldn’t couldn’t get out of bed in the mornings because she felt so tired. A visit to the doctor soon confirmed a diagnosis of stress related depression.

Now I hope that as you’re reading this you are asking yourself whether you have been driving yourself too hard. Or whether you’ve been ignoring tell tale symptoms, such as feeling irritable and easily agitated, or feeling isolated, not sleeping well or sleeping deeply and at length. In addition to these symptoms perhaps you’re also finding it hard to think clearly or make decisions.

These are just some of the behavioural and physical symptoms that a medical professional will look out for when a patient comes to them suffering from work related or other stress.

Stress can affect everyone senior or junior. The common mistake we often make at the outset is assuming that we are indispensable, so we do more and take on more.

Another common mistake is to leave our own needs at the bottom of the list. We don’t indulge ourselves in little treats and really enjoy them. It’s a life saving and lengthening skill to be able live in the moment and savour beauty where ever and when ever it happens.

I want you to remember that you are always more than your job, you are always more than your social title or role. So please remember to celebrate and embrace what makes you unique and take time out to do what pleases you. Even if at times it is a snatched phone conversation with a friend you haven’t spoken to, or a brief walk in the park. Make them part of your day and really engage in them.

Also take responsibility for your welfare. Tackle your workload and delegate and share tasks or shelve them where you can.

For more help send off for my free report on the symptoms of burn out. It’s on the home page.
Take care of yourself.