Don't Let Career Stress Kill You...Because It Can [Infographic]

We’ve written about the effects of stress many times. The thing is, most people underestimate the toll stress takes on their bodies. If you are an entrepreneur, you probably understand this more than anyone. I know from personal experience, when I’m feeling stressed it snowballs into several other problems like insomnia and impatience with the people around me. It’s not good. Career stress is the most popular type of stress people feel.

Career stress involves job pressure, which could be caused by your boss, co-workers or even simply work overload. According to this infographic called Is Stress Killing You? by BestTherapySchools.com, after job-related stress, the most popular causes of stress are money, health, relationships, poor nutrition, media overload (yup, Twitter and Facebook) and sleep deprivation.

Job stress has been linked to heart disease along with many other health problems (including weight gain). You can do a quick Google search about the relationship between stress and health, and you’ll find enough relevant information to keep you reading all day. In a nutshell, you might be at risk for an unhealthy amount of career stress if you:

Take work home to do at night and on the weekends
Work unreasonably long hours
Think about work problems constantly while at home
Find it difficult to relax, to say no, and to delegate
Are resentful about missing time with family and friends because of work
Think about work when you’re trying to fall asleep
Procrastinate projects because you want them to be ‘perfect’
Feel like you’re on call 24/7
Sleep with your smartphone so you don’t miss any work emails

Of course, doing these things doesn’t necessarily mean you are on your way to experiencing too much career stress. They could just mean you are very dedicated and committed to your work. However, as with everything, there is a balance. A little bit of stress is good – it keeps us motivated to keep moving forward. If these things happen every once in a while then you are probably okay. If they happen all the time, you might need a vacation from the stress.

If you want to do something to de-stress your mind and body, I suggest you do two things (both of them work for me). First, take 3 hours to organize your life. This means tidy up your desk at work and your desk at home. This will have a tremendously positive influence on your stress. Secondly, exercise. Ride your bike, walk around the block, go to the gym, whatever. Exercise really does have a de-stressing effect on the body, and you’ll feel it almost instantly. Good luck!