When the brain is exhausted it becomes difficult to concentrate and making a simple decision may seem like a monumental problem. If this feeling of being tired is ignored or suppressed by drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes we may feel relieved, but soon reach a point of diminishing returns. Our thought processes becomes muddled and if we continue to push ourselves then we either become angry and get upset easily or we lose all perspective on life and feel totally hopeless. This feeling of being “low” may cause us to withdraw from society altogether.

There are proven techniques that can enable us to cope with stress successfully without having to resort to using potions like drugs and alcohol, which decrease our minds as well as our efficiency. Some of these techniques are simple, so much so that they are often overlooked or dismissed as unimportant. Consider, for example, the following list of stress reducing suggestions which are very basic as well as simple to implement:

1. Be yourself and do not play roles. Trying to be the “liberated women” or the “cool businessman,” for example, will only create stress because you are not being yourself.

2. Seek people who are pleasant to be around with when choosing your friends. Where possible, avoid contact with those who criticize you or like to constantly talk about the negative situations around them.

1. Express feelings and emotions. Putting stress into words through communication with colleagues can prevent the isolation often felt during the later stages of burnout. The exchange of ideas acts as a buffer because sharing and communicating has a unique way of relieving stress and putting things in perspective.

2. Schedule down time. Everyone needs breaks away from work. Instead of using lunch or coffee breaks to catch upon unfinished or extra work, spend down time doing something completely unrelated to work. Time off is absolutely essential in refreshing attitudes and job outlook.

3. Recognize energy patterns and schedule work accordingly. During a normal work day, we all have high and low levels of energy. Finding out when high energy levels occur and then scheduling stressful duties only during those times will prevent wear out and energy loss.