Everyone has stress, but is there a point that tips the scales and moves us from stress to burnout? The answer is, YES, and you can probably look back and say, “I know when that happened.” Usually, it has to do with when your health begins to suffer.

We all need a little stress inoculation-short bouts of stress that help us increase our efficiency and better focus on tasks at hand. But too many stress bouts that  go on and on can lead to burnout and physical problems. Burnout involves physical and emotional exhaustion. It builds up over time, but when it hits, it is devastating and takes time to recover.

The tipping point is chronic stress. It will eventually deplete you. So take a look at how you have handled stress in the past. Do you have management strategies? Can you regulate the stress and move forward? More importantly, the way you think of stress matters. Think of it positively and you will do better.

It is the holding on and allowing stress to linger long term that creates problems. Much of this has to do with your thoughts. If you distort your thinking by staying negative and focusing on the potential effects of what can go wrong, you will hold on to stress. Instead, use stress to push you forward, then let it go.

If you feel exhausted, begin to hate your job, find yourself being cynical and disillusioned, start thinking burnout. You’ve probably hit the tipping point. Evaluate your situation. What can you change? Adjust your attitude and find someone to support you. Perhaps it is time to find an outlet for stress–a habit, passion, interest. The point is, do something to make changes!