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The Job Burnout Quiz


by Diana Rocco

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - How can you tell if you just a need a day off of work, or if you should be considering a new career?

With fewer people doing more, work-related stress is on the rise.

So, are you suffering from job burnout?

3 On Your Side's Diana Rocco has the questions you should be asking yourself to find out.

Go, go, go.

Work is harder than ever.

More workers are plugged in, stressed out, and they're often burnt out.

"Job burnout is something that doesn't change over many days," says Elaine Varelas, a human resource consultant. "New projects don't energize you, new colleagues don't energize you, you have just had it and spend most of your time daydreaming about what else, and where else you want to be."

A recent survey of IT workers found that 75 percent were stressed-out at work and 40 percent of them were so stressed that they were losing sleep at home.

Here are four questions to ask yourself to see if you're at the point of burnout.

Do you lack the energy to go to work most days?

Do you have trouble concentrating?

Do you feel ambiguous about your role in the organization?

These are warning signs, according to Varelas.

If you are unclear about what your responsibilities are, then you are never really solid in your role.

And finally, are you feeling detached and isolated from co-workers?

Not having relationships is a significant issue and another sign of burnout, and potentially depression.

Burnout costs companies big money in lost productivity and in recruiting replacement workers.

But it doesn't have to happen.

Melanie Russell has been a strategic marketing executive for 40 years.

Her company promotes internal stress releases like quick bowling matches on Wii video games.

And there's community outreach on company time.

Melanie volunteered weekly at a local charter school.

She says it helped her, the community, and the business.

"You'd come back and you'd just be a little more recharged," said Melanie.

More companies are realizing small investments can have big returns.

"Dealing with stress and the stress that impacts burnout is something that is good for the bottom line," said Varelas.

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