Overworking can lead to Burnout
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a."Mr. Success"

Do you work more hours than you should?  Do you leave the office at night, just to find yourself picking up where you left off at home?  Do you feel like you are stuck in a rut and you will never get out?  If you answered yes to any of these questions you may be suffering from burnout at your job.  This often occurs when you work too many hours without taking time off.  Many people feel like the only way to get things done is by working long days, and sometimes even longer nights.  But this is simply not true.  In fact, if you are doing work while you are tired or not at your peak performance your work is almost always going to suffer.

If you feel like you are experiencing burnout at your current job there are a couple of things that you can do to refresh yourself.  The first thing that most people try is taking a vacation.  This is a great way to relax your mind and refresh your body.  Even if you do not go to a tropical island you can still benefit from this time off.  A vacation does not necessarily mean that you have to go out of town.  You can spend your time sleeping in, spending time with your family, or reading.  It is up to you to decide how you spend your time.  But the one thing that you must remember is that you are vacationing, which means no work whatsoever.  This means no checking your email, or calling into the office five times a day to check your voicemail.  If the temptation is too much for you to take, then you should schedule an out of state vacation and leave all of your work at home.

If you have tried the vacation route and you are still feeling worn out at your current job, it may be time for a career change.  There is no reason to feel guilty if you think that changing careers might be able to rescue you for your current slump.  Make sure that you explain your situation to both your employer and to anybody at home who may be involved on your decision.  The first step to a career change is finding what you want to do.  Remember that the reason you are making a change is to reenergize your career, so choose something that you are really interested in.  If you have a degree in teaching, but have always worked in sales, maybe you want to contact some of the local high schools.

Do not let burnout control your life.  Even though it is sometimes hard to break out of a rut, it can be done if the appropriate steps are taken.