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Are You Experiencing Burnout?

If you are stressed at work, here are some tips to help relieve that stress.

Let’s face it. We are living in challenging times. Turn on the evening news; chances are you will see at least one story related to the job market. There has been a steady decrease in the number of available workers over the past two years. Job burnout could be the reason.

Most people will experience a bad day at work occasionally. Long hours, standing on your feet, lost clients, or office politics can cause stress to build up. When chronic stress, exhaustion, and negativity toward your job continues to be of concern and doesn’t go away it can have a major impact on your overall health.

Some jobs typically have high stress – health care professionals including nurses, first responders, doctors, and teachers are examples. However, any high-stress job with a hectic pace, long hours, or a hostile work environment can cause burnout. Always being connected to your job through email, text, and social media can contribute to job stress.

What are the signs of job stress?

  • Dreading to go to work.
  • Having trouble getting started when you arrive to work.
  • Being irritable or impatient with workers.
  • Lack of job satisfaction and not feeling valued as an employee.
  • Lack of concentration.

What are the physical signs of job stress?

  • Not sleeping well.
  • Unexplained stomach or headache problems.

Listen to your body. If you are experiencing any of these signs, talk to your healthcare professional. Too much stress can be the cause of many health-related issues including heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Here are some things you can do to help relieve and overcome stress:

These techniques are great for both mild and severe stress.

  • Set boundaries. Don’t define your personal self-worth by your job.
  • Learn to say no. Schedule some relaxation time every day and stick to it.
  • Make time for yourself. Spending just 30 minutes listening to soft music, self-reflection, or doing something creative like art, crafts, or sewing can help relieve the stressors of your day.
  • Learn and practice mindfulness techniques to help you stay calm.
  • Download a stress relieving app to your phone. There are many free apps that play soft music and teach breathing exercises to calm you.
  • Exercise is a great stress-reliever.
  • Get a massage to help you relax.
  • Eat healthy food and get enough sleep every night.
  • If possible, take a vacation from your job.

More and more research is being done on the connection of stress and overall health. Learning to cope with stress is a learned skill. It takes practice and time. Stress that doesn’t go away needs to be addressed by a health-care professional.

The Cooperative Extension Service has a great tool to help you learn how to deal with stress. Contact the Howard County Extension Office at 870-845-7517 or visit our office located on the second floor of the courthouse and ask for the publication, “Managing Stress”. It is free of charge! 

Recipe of the Week

Meatloaf is considered a “comfort food”. This recipe is a healthier version of a family favorite. It has only 174 calories per serving, is low in fat, and high in protein.

  • 1-pound lean ground beef or turkey

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

  • ½ onion, finely diced

  • ½ cup grated carrots

  • ½ cup green bell peppers, finely diced

  • ½ cup dry quick-cooking oats

  • 1 egg

  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • ¼ cup ketchup

  1.    Preheat oven to 350⁰F.

  2. Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

  3. Heat a skillet on the stove on medium-high heat.

  4. Add the oil, onions, carrots and bell peppers, and cook until the vegetables soften, about 3-5 minutes.

  5.  In a large bowl, gently mix the ground beef, onion, carrots, bell peppers, oats, egg, pepper, salt, Italian seasoning and tomato paste.

  6. Form the mixture into a loaf about 8x4-inches long.

  7. Place in prepared casserole dish. Bake for 50 minutes.

  8.  In a small bowl, mix ketchup and brown sugar to make a sauce.

  9. Remove meatloaf from oven and spread sauce over top.

  10. Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 165⁰F.

                Yield: 6 servings

  1. Nutrition Information Per Serving: 174 calories, 6g fat, 19g protein, 2g fiber, 283mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate

 

By Jean Ince
County Extension Agent - Staff Chair
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
421 N. Main St, Nashville AR 71852
(870) 845-7517
jince@uada.edu

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