Yet, that's exactly what the British Cycling Team did at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

They hired a surgeon to teach the athletes to properly wash their hands, avoiding illnesses during competition. The team staff were utterly fastidious about food preparation. They even brought their own mattresses and pillows, so that the athletes could sleep in a familiar posture every night. 

What does all of this have to do with coaching? 
It might seem totally weird, even slightly crazy, but these were just some of the methods Sir Dave Brailsford, head of British Cycling used to turn his scrappy little bunch into world champions.

British Cycling went from a terrible 76-year record of just one gold medal, to 7 out of 10 gold at the Beijing Olympics and then 7 out of 10 yet again at the London Olympics. They've even won three Tour de France competitions, with only Italy interrupting their successful run. 

Surely Britain didn't suddenly sprout champions . . .
Something else was in play, and that something else is simply the teacher, or the coach. And there's a remarkable difference between being just someone who coaches others, and one that coaches to get precise results.

The coach who works with a specific goal in mind takes great performers and transforms them into unbeatable. If you look at almost any great artist, performer, athlete or professional, it's easy to seduce yourself into believing in the myth of inborn talent. In almost every instance, you will find it's the coach and their methods that take the client from a seemingly ordinary level to something quite stupendous.

Without a coach, a person must go through the gruelling method of having to figure out all the mistakes and then find successful solutions, all by trial and error, and without assistance.  A well trained and knowledgeable coach will not only reduce the learning curve, but can make learning fun and perhaps even addictive. 

What is Counselling for IBD?  

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or IBD, is a grouping of autoimmune diseases with no known origin or cure. With modern medicine alone, the best that can be done for IBD is to manage it effectively, while preserving the best lifestyle possible.

Having an IBD counsellor as your coach, will help reduce your learning curve, teach you strategies to make you unbeatable, and help you find the best lifestyle possible.

Counselling for IBD includes focusing on IBD-specific issues such as:

• Mental health;
• Communication;
• Understanding IBD;
• The effects of lifestyle on IBD;
• And especially the impact of diet and nutrition.

Treating IBD is different than other chronic illnesses. It is not just about chronic pain or discomfort, and it is all about a holistic lifestyle adjustment.

Is IBD counselling a particular method of counselling?

Specific methods of therapy such at CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), existential therapy, and hypnotherapy have been scientifically demonstrated to be useful for improving the quality of life for those living with IBD. Traditional counselling therapy, and Neurofeedback are also commonly used in conjunction with coaching and education.

CBT re-directs mental focus, helping to lower anxiety and symptoms of depression. CBT has been also been demonstrated to improve overall quality of life and help manage harmful activities.

Neurofeedback is useful for calming anxiety, improving sleep patterns and reducing impulsive cravings.

Existential techniques are useful as a strategy for the management of chronic pain.

Hypnotherapy has been shown to result in reduced inflammation, improved health-related quality of life, and reduction of pain.

Psychoeducation and lifestyle coaching create a more in depth understanding of the disease so that you can make informed choices. Knowing why using each tool is useful, will help you in using the tools, and organizing will better meet your needs as well as improve your overall enjoyment of life.

Can every counsellor provide IBD counselling?

Those with IBD symptoms are best served by a healthcare professional who has researched and practiced therapeutic methods that are beneficial to IBD and who is educated in the specifics of what it is like to live with IBD.

As a professional with IBD I have a unique perspective in helping you navigate life and come to terms with your chronic illness.

What does an IBD counselling program include? 

IBD counselling addresses the following areas:

1. Mental Health: Rates of anxiety and depression are higher and more common in IBD patients than in the general population.

Challenges with anxiety and depression, as well as other mental health issues, are included in a personalized IBD treatment program.

Self-esteem tends to be lower in IBD patients and can often be the cause of many unwanted mental health symptoms, including anxiety, and depression. Treating symptoms of IBD places emphasis on increasing self-esteem through steps of success, strategic goal setting, and empowerment for independence.

2. Diet: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”- Hippocrates.

There are a lot of options and opinions when it comes to diet, nutrition, and management of IBD. IBD counselling includes a personalized diet and nutrition plan, along with education, and resources that will work with your situation.

3. Lifestyle: Stress is a well-known trigger for inflammation that can lead to IBD flare-ups. Stress management tools such as breathing, meditation, and self-hypnosis are an important part of the IBD counselling program.

Understanding how stress impacts your system is an important part of helping you make the best choices. Together we will create a stress-management plan tailored to your specific lifestyle and needs. Included in a stress-management plan is a work-life balance program that supports success.

4. Education: As a counselling professional with a science degree and experience as an educator, I can help you understand IBD to greater depth. I will explain what is happening to you and your system in understandable terms, and assist your family, friends, parents, and children to better understand as well.

5. Social and Relationship Communication: Relationships with loved ones can be very difficult for those with IBD.

IBD is often described as an “invisible illness.” Learning how to communicate about your symptoms and how you feel with those around you is a critical skill. Advocating for yourself and communicating your needs is important when making doctor appointments, choosing treatments options, and speaking with healthcare professionals.

How is IBD counselling different from typical counselling?

Symptoms of IBD effect every aspect of life. IBD counselling involves a great deal more lifestyle and strategic skills that are not found in a typical counselling program.

IBD counselling focuses on the whole person, including the emotional, social, mental, and physical aspects of living with a chronic illness. IBD counselling can often involve the healing of trauma and coming to terms with your diagnosis.

If you would like to speak to a counsellor about an IBD or any other chronic illness, call Gerry Bock at 604-574-6555, or email to gerry@bock.ca

In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew went bananas. Like a drunk on too many Tequilas, he tore into South Florida with wind gusts of 175mph, redrawing the landscape. Approximately 600,000 homes and businesses bore the brunt of his menacing and destructive actions.

By the time Andrew left, he had run up a tab of $26 billion dollars and left behind some very angry insurance companies. Andrew was responsible for the second highest insurance payout in history, surpassed only by that associated with September 11.

Many insurance company consulted their crystal balls and decided the future in Florida was too unpredictable. So, while they covered the claims, they refused to renew policies.

State Farm Had a Different Opinion

State Farm looked further and assessed the reasons why these homes had been so vulnerable. Hurricane Andrew had blown roofs off because contractors had not anchored them to the frames of the homes. Then, having taken action to understand the situation, State Farm paid out the policy claims and also paid for its customers to bring their buildings up to code.

This insurance company was willing to make sure their customers had peace of mind should Andrew or one of his family come visiting once again.

Families can be Like Hurricanes

When crisis strikes a family unexpectedly, it can blow the roof off, leaving family members exposed and vulnerable. When a family has a good internal structure, the roof stays anchored and in place, regardless of the turmoil going on outside the family home.

Which Brings Us to the Three Most Important Words

Webster's Dictionary defines the word "Client" in the following way: “A client is one who comes under your care, guidance and protection.”

This definition places the emphasis on us, as professionals, in our relationship with you, to care, protect and guide, as you recover from unexpected events, assisting you in rebuilding your family to achieve a new and more enjoyable standard of living. 

When the unexpected blows the roof off, leaving you needing care, guidance and protection, please allow us to bring you and your family to a new, and improved standard of living.

How can we work so hard to try to love someone, and still be frustrated with them so frequently?

Once the question was lodged firmly in my counsellor mind, I too had to find the answer to this question.

I am a “Loving Person” most of the time . . .

Why do people in otherwise loving relationships find it so challenging to communicate with each other in a gentle and loving manner when we are frustrated or upset with another person? It is like a different “person” takes over and feels the need to mobilize an emotional army of emotional defences.

What is the Opposite of Love?

When asked, most people will answer the question, “What is the opposite of Love?” that the opposite of Love is Hate.

While “hate” may seem to be a logical response to the question, this is a common misperception, that leads to many needless misunderstandings in communication.

Love is a core emotion from which many other emotions are created. Emotions such as happiness, kindness, goodwill, charity, faith, empathy, fairness and compassion all come from the root intention and “work” of love.

What is Hate and Where Does it Come From?

Hate is a subset of a different set of emotions. From greed to anger; from prejudice to envy; from jealousy to pride; from deceit to aggression and brutal abuse, the core emotion from which hate comes from is none other than fear.

Fear . . .

Fear is the opposite of love because fear is the base emotion from which hate, prejudice, greed, stress, paranoia, and many other negative emotions and experiences are based. Fear closes the heart and makes us vulnerable to being “taken over” by negative influences and control.

Fear is never patient;

Fear is not kind;

Fear is almost always jealous;

Fear is rude and frequently brags about personal accomplishments;

Fear is proud of what has been accomplished without the assistance of a partner;

Fear is easily angered;

Fear recalls “wrongs” to mind quickly, seeking to “dominate or control” and is frequently defensive when questioned or criticized;

Fear is typically happy when other people mess up and is never happy to celebrate what others have accomplished or created;

Truth and openness is anathema to fear;

Fear always gives up on others, never trusts, always loses hope, quitting early and often;

Fear will come to an end as will all other gifts of knowledge and material possessions;

When confronted with true love, fear always has to back down, even if it takes a while . . .

Promotions – One should not assume that the boss knows how well you do your job and will reward your performance. Requesting a review from your boss may be difficult, but often a promotion may come when you show interest in the needs of the company. Asking for an opportunity to discuss your performance is a way of letting your boss know that you are interested in increasing your performance and advancing your career.

Changing companies – The days of one company and one career per lifetime, seem to be gone. In order to advance, you will likely have to risk the safety of staying in the same place to move up the career ladder.

Changing careers – Changing fields is very risky, but it can be very rewarding. Those who explore both aptitudes and interests tend to be most successful—both personally and financially—when doing something they really enjoy. The same principles apply when starting your own business.

What if you fail? – The most successful people do not look at mistakes as failed risks, but as setbacks that have become learning opportunities. Because even the most well laid plans don't always succeed, adaptability and optimism are important tools in career development and risk taking.

If you have trouble viewing failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, you might try monitoring your thoughts for a time and replacing negative messages with positive ones. Changing "I really screwed up, I hope I don't get fired" to "It was a good first effort" will improve your attitude, and most importantly, leave you open to making more successful risks in the future.

• Know the purpose of the risk. The amount of potential benefit should be considered in determining whether a risk is worth taking or not. You might be willing to take certain risks for a larger potential reward than you would for a smaller potential payoff.
• Consider your options. Study all of the choices available to you so that you can choose the most workable plan of action.
• Seek advice. Especially when it comes to career risks you may wish to consult a mentor or trusted superior. In other situations try to find someone who has taken a similar risk that has worked out well and ask them how they managed to overcome the obstacles.
• Make a timetable. Risks usually require the successful completion of specific key tasks. Deciding on a timetable for each successive task will typically reduce the unpredictability and thus the stress of risk taking.
• Assess the potential loss. Acknowledging the consequences of the worst that can happen is part of successful risk taking. By facing the possibility of losses, you will be better prepared to prevent them.
• Know yourself. Being realistic about your ability to tolerate the uncertainty of risk taking and dealing with possible failure will help you choose manageable risks and avoid traumatic risks. Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Risk Taking.
• Being unrealistic. Goals are rarely achieved by taking one risk that is successful 100% of the time. It is far more likely that you will need to take several risks with varying degrees of success to reach your goal.
• Rushing. Careful planning is one of the secrets of successful risking. Take time to think things through, anticipate setbacks and execute your plans well.
• Risking a lot for little gain. Only you can define what a "lot" and what a "little" mean to you. Don't sacrifice something important for a possible payoff that is less than what you are giving up.
• Taking risks out of foolish pride. Taking risks just for the sake of maintaining others' approval is almost always a hazardous and foolish experience that can have dramatic consequences. A little embarrassment (real or imagined) is far less devastating than the long reaching consequences of an ill-conceived risk.
• Risking more than you have to lose. Never "bet the ranch" financially or emotionally. Know your resources and take your risks within your limitations.

Without risk, life would be too predictable, mundane, and boring. Some risks are dangerous, others are necessary.

To be successful at risk taking we need to take control of our risk behaviour. Risking means taking a course of action with an unpredictable outcome. Fear of the unknown sometimes holds us back from risking what we should consider. Risk carries a chance of failure; and also the possibility of great success. We risk because we hope to gain something, whether love, excitement or financial reward.

To understand why risk is necessary, pause for a moment and ask yourself: “What risks do I regret not having taken?”

Steps to Successful Risk Management

Recognizing the desire to make a change and the goals for the change. You may have become so bored and frustrated with your job or your life that you have become passive and careless. You might also be so tired of being in “unequal” or abusive relationship that you just cannot tolerate it any longer.

Making the decision to move forward. Even when very unhappy, people may feel paralyzed by fear. Typically, fear will prevent forward momentum until the discomfort of not moving forward becomes greater than the fear. At this point, the fear will seem less threatening and a decision to make a change occurs.

Planning the change. Planning is the key to successful risk taking management. Identifying alternatives and considering likely consequences will boost creativity and assist in confidently deciding on a course of action.

Following through on the decision. Once you have carefully planned and decided, you need to follow through with the planned change(s) and persevere even when you encounter obstacles and challenges.

The Fear Factor

Fear is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to success. Since risking requires facing potential failure, people whose self-esteem is high generally have less fear and handle setbacks, or the thought of them, better than those who dislike themselves. Building strong self-esteem is a first step to being able to make risking behaviour more successful.

Healthy vs. Dangerous Risks

Most of the risks we take in life are positive, ultimately producing growth and learning. Some examples of healthy risks are reaching out for love, self-improvement risks such as returning to school, or stretching ourselves to meet a challenge. Some risks are unhealthy or unsafe. Empty risks are ones that endanger you or others, without much chance of a useful payoff.

Improving Risking Skills

Counselling is a good setting to conquer fears and practice taking manageable risks. For some people, entering therapy seems like a big risk. Counselling is the beginning of becoming more confident, with healthy and self-improvement risks.

Some people are risk aversive, seeming to be unable to take any chances at all. The idea of risking paralyzes them with fear. Because they find risk difficult, they are often unable to grow, and may become psychologically rigid and unbalanced.

In counselling sessions, people can come to understand how pessimistic perceptions have been holding them back, and learn strategies for overcoming fears. A counsellor will be able to help focus on gains, rather than the potential for loss, and provide a place to discuss and practice learned risk taking skills.

At the extreme of risk taking are daredevils. These are people who seek taking unsafe risks that put themselves and others in dangerous situations for the sake of adventure. Reckless risk taking is often seen as a normal part of adolescent development, though it does not have to be. In adults, dangerous risk taking usually suggests difficulties such as low self-esteem, high need for attention, or subconscious self-destructive thought patterns.

Counselling helps daredevils and adventure seekers to gain a realistic perspective and focus on both the causes and the consequences of their behaviour so that they can resolve underlying fears and self-image obstacles. It may often save lives.

• Consult with your physician regularly.
• Improve your emotional and social support system. A network of supportive friends and family can act as a buffer and prevent the burnout cycle from occurring. Develop new friendships based on mutual giving and receiving.
• Take the initiative at work to start new projects that have personal meaning. Look for creative ways to bring variety to otherwise boring or routine tasks.
• Develop sources of enjoyment and reward other than your career or occupation. Hobbies, sports activities, recreation, and community events can all be a tremendous source of variety, and stimulation.
• Be good to your body. Exercising regularly, eating a proper diet, and getting adequate sleep can all help manage physical symptoms of burnout.
• Pay attention to early warning signs that may signal difficulties and early symptoms of burnout. Don't attribute fatigue, irritability, and signs of depression as being just tired or moody, and dismiss these warning indicators.
• Be realistic about goals and expectations of yourself and others. You may need to re-evaluate your priorities, set more manageable goals, or take a break and come back with a fresh perspective.
• Learn how to ask for the things you need, and how to respond to others when your needs are not being met.
• Look for internal rewards and gratification, rather than looking to others for personal validation.
• Examine personal projects and decide where your time and energy is going to be best used, or bring you the greatest return on investment.
• Avoid taking on responsibility for others. Set up strong boundaries and allow others to do things they can do for themselves.

Recovering from Burnout – If you are already into the burnout cycle, there are some ways you can improve your situation:

• Accept negative feelings of anger, confusion, depression, anxiety, and failure as reality. Acceptance of the situation is the first step towards taking corrective action.
• Take Your Time. There is usually a powerful sense of loss present during the burnout cycle. Whether identity, idealism, moral values, or a lost dream, something has gone. Allow yourself time to recover.
• Get Support. Acknowledging the pain and difficulty is not a sign of weakness, but a step of growth. Talking with a therapist, friends, or family about your concerns and frustrations generally relieves emotional pain and brings a sense of relief.
• Adjust Expectations. When recovering from burnout it is reasonable to expect that you will not be able to perform at the same energy level until you are fully recovered. Adjust your expectations so that you will not repeat the burnout cycle again by rushing to make changes that are not well thought out or appropriately planned.
• Learn to Relax. After burnout has already occurred, you will likely have to work harder at relaxing. Relaxation, visualization, and imagery techniques, along with physical exercise, will help relax your mind and body.
• Balance your Life. If you are burning out in your career, focus more time and energy on personal and social relationships.
• Review Your Goals. If you feel like you are lost in the "forest" of crises, unfinished projects, and emotional exhaustion, "step back" periodically from your situation. Review where you have been, and decide where you really want to go. Set realistic goals that will help you realize your true dreams and desires.
• Get Help. Recovery from burnout is accomplished much more quickly with the help of a well-trained and experienced counsellor. Therapy will assist you in regaining an objective perspective, and will put you in a position of strength where the burnout cycle can be broken.
• When people become stressed, anxious and burnt out, patterns of self-destructive behaviour often become major challenges. These patterns are sometimes difficult to understand. In the face of too much well-meaning advice and self-help, programs a counsellor can often sort contradictory thoughts and feelings.
• Clinical Counselling involves using a human partnership approach to improving your important relationships. Building a trusting and comfortable relationship between client(s) and counsellor is a primary part of the counselling program. We welcome your questions and comments at any time.
• Specialized Therapeutic Solutions operates our counselling practice upholding the standards and ethics of Registered Clinical Counsellors (BC Association of Clinical Counsellors).
• The decision to attend a counselling session may be based on a wide range of considerations and dissatisfactions. Whatever the reasons for your decisions, we are listening and ready to assist.

Striving for goals that are not yours is a quick route to stress, anxiety and burnout. Many children grow up trying to be "good enough" for their parents and/or other important relationships.

Many individuals find themselves still trying to meet their parents expectations even after their parents are deceased, or living a great distance away from them.Trying to live up to the expectations of others will drain energy and make life difficult and challenging.

The fear of success leads to self-sabotage and repeated failures. The fear of failure causes success to become a precarious perch, making it exceptionally difficult to make progress or move forward.

Relationship Burnout

Relationship burnout occurs when:
The relationship is too intense. During the initial infatuation or "honeymoon" stage, the relationship can be very intense and energetic. This energy level cannot be sustained indefinitely, but we may find that we spend a lot of time and energy to keep up this unrealistic image.

When you live with a person who is burnt-out you also may become affected when the burnout characteristics and responsibilities are passed on. Responsibility is frequently passed on from the burnt-out person to their close friends and partners as burnout decreases a person's ability to carry their share of the load. Sometimes these relationships can become a significant drain on already stretched resources and energy.

Most people identify frequent unresolved disagreements, arguments, a lack of trust, poor communication, and criticism, as markers of an unhealthy relationship.

When asked, most describe the attributes of a healthy relationship using the following terms:

• A strong and loving bond;
• Great communication;
• Exceptional trust;
• Ongoing commitment to resolving whatever life brings.

When the research is reviewed there are specific markers that are identified and categorized repeatedly as leading to a happy, healthy and satisfying relationship.

Leading relationship scientist Dr. John Gottman has identified specific signs and signals that lead to relationship breakdown and signal the coming to an end of a healthy relationship of any type. Following is a condensed version of Gottman’s summary of these markers titled “Predicting Divorce”:

1. A Harsh Start-up: Being negative, accusatory or using contempt.

2. The Four Horsemen:

a. Criticism: e.g. “Why are you so selfish?”

b. Contempt: Using sarcasm, cynicism, name calling, eye rolling gestures;

c. Defensiveness: Blaming the other person frequently, they are the problem not me;

d. Stonewalling: Shutting out further discussion. It may be important to note that men tend to do this more than women.

3. Flooding: When your partners’ negativity is often so overwhelming that they disengage to protect themselves.

4. Bodily Reactions: Physiological changes that happen within the body (such as significantly increased heart rate and blood pressure along with other strong chemical changes in the body and the brain) impairing the person’s ability to process information.

5. Failed Repair Attempts: One partners attempts to repair ongoing conflicts fails frequently.

6. Bad Memories: When the couple views the past in a negative light to the degree that they mentally “rewrite” or distort their past.

What are the Signs of a Healthy Relationship?

There are a lot of common markers for understanding what makes an unhappy relationship better and what makes a good relationship a happier and healthier relationship.

1. Complain and Communicate Constructively: Partners are careful how they present their complaint, the words they choose and the tone of the voice they use.

2. Share Your Concerns: Partners need to tell each other how they feel and what they need. If feelings and conflicts are left unresolved, the opportunity for bonding and relationship intimacy is lost. Men often think that they are cooling things down when they refuse to discuss things and women often feel minimized when issues and concerns are not openly discussed.

3. Be a Little Selfish: If you give and give until you feel resentful, trapped and imprisoned you are building a wall between you and your partner. Work on giving to yourself about the same or a little bit more then you do to your partner.

4. Break the Cycle: With criticism often comes a defensive response. Criticism leads to partners feeling alone, disconnected and helpless to resolve the problem. To break the cycle, communicate with the end goal in mind, asking questions about what you would like to see change and develop, instead of identifying negative qualities about the other person that need to change. 

5. Fulfil Your Dreams: Dreams unfulfilled can lead to significant resentment. Talk about your dreams with your partner and create an action plan to make each of yours dreams a reality.

6. Support Each Other: When black clouds descend on one partner (a death in the family, depression, career setback, significant and challenging life circumstance) be a person who is willing to listen and be compassionate in your partners’ darkest days.

7. Communicate With Clarity: When you are making a request of your partner, or asking your partner to do something for you, communicate with clear expectations and if you are not clear, gently request clarification or further directions. E.g. “Sweetie could you please take out the garbage by tomorrow morning so that when the pickup comes it’s there with the rest of the trash.”

8. Calm Your Anger: Regardless of who or what the issue may be, not being able to control your negative emotions, especially anger, can and will erode the positive feelings your partner has had for you. The person that the anger is directed at soon feels threatened and at risk, disconnecting the bond in the relationship.

9. Take Time Together: Life can become busy, and regardless if you are a new parent, parents of teenagers or empty nesters, there is always something to be done, or busyness to take care of. Couples often end up exhausted because of the ongoing obligations of “life.” There will always be work to be done, or things to “take care of.” There will not always be opportunities to “connect” with the children, or your partner. Take the time for one other spontaneously or by building time into the calendar. The cost of neglecting the connection in your relationship is simply too high.

10. Appreciate The Differences: Over time you will discover that your partner is different then you are and that you both have a different set of skills, talents and abilities. You can spend a lot of time, effort and energy trying to get them to do things your way or you can just accept their differences and make a plan to develop and appreciate the way these differences can complement each other in the relationship. Open a dialogue with your partner about these differences and find ways to resolve issues, remembering to focus on the issue not on your partner.

Looking for guidance in your relationships, let us show you how we can help – call today 604-574-6555

Do you ever wonder how your life might have been different if you had married someone else, or fulfilled your childhood dreams? These are all thoughts and feelings coming from people who are burning out.

No one is immune to burnout, and as you get older your chances of experiencing burnout increase. While most burnout is job related, relationship or family burnout is also common. Burnout occurs when a great deal of energy is invested and there is little or no return in the form of desirable and positive rewards.

Symptoms of Burnout

Psychological symptoms of burnout are reactions to stress and pressure that linger after the immediate situation that created the stressor have passed, and you are still left with a diminishing your ability to function effectively. They include…

• Nervousness Depression or anxiety
• Fatigue, low energy, or apathy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Low tolerance for frustration
• Feeling pressured, trapped, or tense
• Loss of interests in social activities
• Nagging self-doubt
• Irritability or outbursts of emotion
• Sleep disturbances
• Feeling emotionally drained
• Difficulty turning thoughts off

Behavioural symptoms of burnout are self-defeating actions to cope with tension and anxiety in an attempt to relieve, forget, or escape the pressure…

• Withdrawing from close/intimate relationships
• Increased smoking or drinking
• Loss of appetite or overeating
• Criticizing, or blaming others
• Watching TV more than two hours per day
• Taking tranquillizers or other drugs
• Feeling overwhelmed by relationships or work, yet feeling that you are indispensable
• Cynicism or sarcasm about work/career
• Difficulty meeting commitments or completing tasks

Physical symptoms of burnout involve body responses to excessive, chronic stress in the form of pain and physical disorders, such as…

• Headaches
• Back pain
• Muscle tension
• Gastrointestinal and stomach complaints
• Lingering colds
• Irregular heartbeat
• Grinding or clenching teeth