With stress filling our personal life and our job, it's no wonder that more and more people are suffering from job burnout. This is a natural reaction to stress in our lives and makes us feel helpless, exhausted and drained. Recognising the signs of job burnout is the first step you need to take Look at the questions below and if you find yourself answering "yes" to many of them chances are that you have job burnout.

• Do you dread going to work?
• Do you regularly feel exhausted at work?
• Do you find yourself getting bored at work?
• Do work activities you once found enjoyable now feel like drudgery??
• Do you find yourself criticizing your job, boss, or place of work?
• Do you find yourself annoyed by your co-workers?
• Is your personal life being affected by your feelings about work?
• Do you find yourself envious of people who are happy at their job?
• Do you now care less than you before about doing a good job?

Job burnout is usually caused by a couple of factors.
• Tedious jobs
• Difficult jobs or bosses
• No recognition for the work you do.
• Changes at work, such as restructuring, new management, school mission statement.
• Changes in your life, such as your interests, goals, or values
• Not having your skills and abilities used at work.

Once you recognize the causes of job burnout, you can start to take the steps to fix it. Talking to your boss about your responsibilities, or talking to a friend may help. You might need to make more serious changes such as changing your job or even your career.

Taking care of yourself is the best way to avoid job burnout. Try doing some of the things below.
Take care of your body
Eat healthy food, avoid sugar, greasy food, and caffeine. Remember to drink enough water during the day. Try to sleep at least 7 hours a night. Go to the doctor and dentist at least once a year for an annual exam.

Take "me" time
Taking time out of your busy schedule for yourself is a great way to relax and recharge your batteries. Do something that you enjoy, whether it's reading a book, going shopping, out to a movie, for a walk in the part, or just doing nothing. Try to take at least 15 minutes a day to do something that you enjoy.

Make goals
When you have something to aim for it'll be easier to make decisions. Think of five things that you want to accomplish before the year is out in your personal life as well as at your job. Try to make goals for the next five years as well. Once you have your goals, figure out what you're going to do to achieve them. Little by little you'll be able to reach your goals.

Talk to people
Talking to friends, family, and co-workers is a great way to vent and once you're done you'll find yourself less stressed.

Know your strengths and weaknesses
Evaluate yourself in a way businesses evaluate themselves. Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses, knowing what you're good at and what you need to work at will help you deal with stress.

Spend time with people
Invest in your friendships and relationships. Japanese women live the longest in the world and the big reason for this is the quality of their relationships. You don't need tons of friends, just a couple of good ones.

Sharon de Hinojosa (naturegirl321) has lived and worked (mainly teaching English) in the US, Scotland, Spain, the Czech Republic, China, Korea, and Peru. As well as teaching short-term in Venezuela and Taiwan.

She has created The LA Job List http://www.thelajoblist.blogspot.com which lists schools, institutes and universities in 19 Latin American countries which offer English teaching positions.

Since living in Peru since August 2006, she wrote The Ultimate Peru List http://www.theultimateperulist.blogspot.com

With 60 pages it's a comprehensive guide for those living in or moving to Peru.